


Aris: Daughter of Thor

by Frostyunicorn300



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: And Marvel, F/M, I Don't Even Know, I'm going to hell in a basket, Space Pirates, i just love Yondu, like Toto in the basket on Miss Gulch's bike, she has daddy issues though, so my brain made ideas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:12:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 57,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostyunicorn300/pseuds/Frostyunicorn300
Summary: Aris is Thor's only child, born to a Midgardian woman, Aris is mortal. Upon her birth, her mother dies, Thor takes her home to Asgard. Odin looks down on her and she's seen as a threat to the throne, he advises Thor not to raise her, instead Loki takes his place. When Thor is cast out of Asgard, Aris leaves. She ends up on Xandar where she meets Yondu Udonta, and from that moment everything changes.





	1. Chapter One

Lady Sif kicked the practice sword from Aris' hands, the small blonde held her hands up in surrender.   
"Thats enough for today." She said, Aris nodded in agreement and got to her feet.   
Aris' handmaidens were outside the door, waiting for Aris' sparring sessions to be over. She walked out of the room and they circled around her, bringing her to her room so she can ready herself for dinner.   
Aris bathed until every inch of her smelled of lavender. One of her handmaidens braided her hair with gold thread, and then she was dressed in a cream gown, sandals and a gold shoulder harness.   
She joins everyone for dinner taking a place at the end of the table beside her uncle.   
"Ah, Aris." Odin said, in a flat tone, "I didn't think you'd be joining us, Lady Sif said you were quite exhausted after training."   
Aris smiled at him, "I recover quickly."   
Odin sipped his wine. Loki leaned closer to Aris, "how did it go?" He asked. Aris shrugged, "I fixed my footing, Sif says I'm always thinking about swinging my sword and I don't move with it." Aris caught a glance at her father and glared.   
She was the spitting image of her father, gold hair, light skin and cerulean blue eyes. Aris looked away and sipped her own wine. 

•. •.   
Aris decided to go to the market that morning, after all it was a week before her 20th birthday.   
However going into town was a mistake, she was not referred to as M'Lady, or Lady Aris, or even Aris, she was called Bastard, or Thor's bastard Daughter.   
She had returned to the palace with new dresses and jewelry. Aris sighed and requested to be alone in the library. Two of her handmaidens stood outside the door.   
Aris was curled up on the window reading a book on her family history when the door opened. "I requested to be alone." She said, the man started laughing. "So, you do not wish my presence then?" He said, Aris looked up and stared at her uncle Loki and smiled. "Uncle!" She put down her book and hugged him.   
"Your maid, Leya told me what happened in the city today, are you alright?"   
Aris gave him a mix of a nod and a shrug. "Its not something I'm not used to, I just wished someone would care enough to use my name." Loki pulled her to the chaise lounge and they sat down. "They fear you, your not a pure royal, you have powers, your power knows no limitations, it scares them." He said, Aris nodded in agreement. "They fear me," she repeated. "I have powers." Aris looked down at her hands, Lightning crackled around her fingers. "I am powerful, it scares them." She repeated it like a mantra. Loki smirked, he kissed the side of her head. "Thats my girl." He got up and left the library.   
Loki was the one who raised Aris, not Thor.   
Odin felt like it was not Thor's priority and Thor had no intention on raising her, so she was left with Loki and she loved him like a daughter loves a father. Loki loved her too, in a weird way But he had plans for Aris, he built up her power, to help him in his quest to take Asgard's throne for himself.

•. •.   
"My lady! My lady!" One of her handmaidens, Rahai shook her awake. Aris stretched and opened her eyes. "What?"   
"Your late, you were supposed to meet with Lady Sif thirty minutes ago." Aris was fully awake, she snapped out of bed, placed her hair in a messy bun, dressed and ran to the training quarters. She pushed the door open, out of breath. Sif was leaning a against the wall examining her nails. "You're late." She said.   
"Sorry, I slept in."   
Sif sighed and tossed her a practice sword. They worked on footing, when to turn, when to duck, when to strike. By the end Aris was exhausted but recovered quickly, they worked on defensive strategy and offensive strategy.   
In the afternoon they spared, Aris had the upper hand today, she knocked the sword from her hand and pushed her down, holding the tip of her sword to her neck.   
"I win." She said triumphantly and helped Sif up. Someone started clapping, Aris turned, she smiled at Loki who walked in the room. "Wonderful, you are wonderful." He said, Aris bounced on the balls of her feet. "Uncle!"   
He reached them, "Sif, stop hogging my niece."   
Sif rolled her eyes and left the room. Loki rolled up his sleeves. "Put the sword away, you wont need it." Aris nodded and tossed the sword aside. Loki waved his hand and 5 illusions appeared. Loki stood behind Aris and put his hand on her shoulders. "Attack." He told her. Clone one charged for Aris, throwing a punch, Aris ducked, flipping him, she grabbed the clone by the throat and slammed him into the ground, electrocuting him. The second clone charged for her, she elbowed him in the gut and jaw, she grabbed his face and fried it. They all came for her, getting fried, Aris grew angry, her eyes crackled with electricity, she grabbed the last clone and flew into the air, and threw him to the ground, the clone disappeared and she landed. Loki clapped, "well done, my dear. Well done."   
Aris smiled at the praise she received from her uncle. 

•. •.   
Aris stood with her uncle during the ceremony, she watched her father become recognized as crown prince. The ceremony was interrupted, Odin senses intruders. He summons Thor and Loki to go with him, leaving Aris to stand with Frigga, who doesn't say anything to her, feeling awkward, Aris picks at the cerulean blue fabric of her dress. She hated feeling like this, being unwanted by her own family, only Loki and Sif enjoyed her company. With a sigh she left the room, her handmaidens followed. 

 

The night after the ceremony Loki visits her in the library. Aris could sense something was wrong. "Uncle." She said, putting her book down. "What's wrong?"   
"Odin banished Thor." He said.   
Aris stood up. "What does that mean for me?" She asked looking at her maidens and to her uncle.   
"I don't know, but as of tonight you no longer have the protection of your father." Loki looked at the ground solemnly, "I'm sorry." 

 

Later that night her handmaidens had dressed her in a black long sleeve shirt, pants, corset belt, durable boots and a black poncho and hood that covered her upper body.   
When she was fully cloaked in black they rushed her to Heimdall.   
"What do you want?" He asked, Aris lifted her head to show him her face. "Aris." He said. "Where do you plan to go so late?"   
"I recently learned my father was cast out. And in doing so I am no longer protected here, I am after all, a bastard." Aris blinked slowly. "I need to leave the realms."   
Heimdall was taken back at her request. "Aris-"   
"Please!" She said, more firm. "Heimdall nodded. Leya handed Aris a satchel. "Inside are 3 million units. It shall keep you going for a few months." Aris nodded. "And," Leya continued, she reached behind her skirt and pulled out a dagger, she pressed the handle into Aris' palm. "Protection." Aris nodded and stood before the observatory opening. Heimdall stood at the ready. "Where do you wish to go?"   
"Anywhere."   
Heimdall nodded and soon she was engulfed in the bifrost. 

Aris landed on the grassy fields of Xandar.   
After hours of walking she found a tavern and stepped inside.   
"What can I get you?" The yellow man asked. "Water, please." He nodded and handed her a glass.  
After she took a sip she was approached by a Achernonian and a Stark. Ignoring them she turned back to her drink.   
"Hey blondie." The Stark said, turning her stool so she could face him, Aris flinched at his face. "What's a pretty girl like you sitting here alone?" Aris scoffed, she slipped the bartender a few units before getting up. She got a few feet away when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she grabbed the arm and flipped the Achernonian onto the table giving him a punch in the face. The Stark held her by the arms and picked her up, screaming in frustration she began to kick, kicking the Achernonian in the face when he got up. "Captain!" The Stark yelled. A Centaurian appeared from the shadows, he had two men by his side who Aris assumed to be Midgardians. "What do we have here?"   
"This woman attacked us!" The Stark growled, still holding Aris in the air. "Let go of me!" Aris yelled, squirming. "You! Centaurian, command this-" she looked at the Stark. "Beast of yours to let me go!"   
The Centaurian got closer to Aris. With the Stark holding her in the air she was eye-level with the blue man.   
"And what makes a Terran like yourself think you can talk like that to me, do you know who I am?" The man moved his coat to show her his yaka arrow. "No I do not know who you are! And I am not!" She struggled in the Starks arms. "A Midgardian! I am Aris, of Asgard."   
"An Asgardian?" The man quipped. "I am Yondu Udonta, these are my men." He gestured to the dozen men wearing the same red coats. "Are you soldiers?" Aris asked, making Yondu laugh. Soldiers? No!" He showed her the flame patch on his jacket. "We're Ravagers." He said, totally confident he struck some sort of fear in her heart. But Aris furrowed her eyebrows and moved her head to the side. "Whats a Ravager?"   
"Whats a Ravager? Girl did you learn nothing on Asgard?"   
Aris shook her head, "I wasn't taught about what laid beyond the realms. Hell, I don't know what planet I'm on."   
"You're on Xandar."   
"Xandar..." she repeated.   
"Wait a minute, did you say your name was Aris?" He asked, Aris nodded.   
"As in, Thor's bastard, Aris?"   
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am Aris, bastard of Thor, raised by Loki. What of it?"   
Rolling his eyes he looked at the Stark annoyed. "Taserface, put her down."   
Aris' feet touched the ground, she had to look up at Yondu now, he was several inches taller then she was. "What are you doing outside the realms?" He asked. "Hell, what are you doing out of Asgard." Aris nodded to the left, Yondu lead her into the corner. "My father, Thor was banished to one of the realms, and since I'm bastard born, I am no longer protected so my handmaidens and Heimdall sent me here." She looked down at her boots.   
"What happens if you go back?" He asked.   
"Long story short, even with my uncle around I could be killed. I'm not exactly popular."   
Yondu sighed, "where were you planning on going?"   
Aris shrugged. "I don't know, I only have 3 million units."   
"3 million?"  
She nodded.   
"How good of a fighter are you?"   
"I'm unlike anything you ever seen." She said in full confidence, cerulean eyes lighting up dangerously.   
"I'm about to offer you a spot among my men, if you'll take it."  
"Why?" She asked.   
Yondu thought for a moment. "You're small, can fit into tight places, good for thievin'."   
Aris bit her lip. "Well, I don't really have anywhere else to go."   
Yondu smiled at her, revealing crooked and sharp looking teeth. He gave her a rough pat on the back, startling her. "Good, now, I'll do what I can to stop these men from eating you, they ain't taste Asgardian before."   
Aris huffed. "They'd be dead before they tried." 

The Ravagers and Aris walked to the Eclector, when they boarded Yondu went straight into introductions. "You've already met Taserface and Brahl." He nodded over to the Stark and Achernonian. "This is my first mate Kraglin Obfonteri and this is Peter Quill, he's from Terra."   
"Midgard." Aris nodded.   
Yondu looked around, "uh, you don't need to know them." The crew groaned.   
Yondu started to walk away, but Aris followed. "So..." she asked, leaning against a pole. "Where do I sleep?"  
"With the men."   
The air left her longs and she squeaked. "I will not!" She protested, she stood toe to toe with Yondu, but she was eye level with his neck, she backed up to look at his face. "I am a woman, they are men, I sleep separately." She said with her arms crossed. Yondu tried staring her down, red met blue but his glare was no match for the storm in the small girls eyes. He sighed in defeat. "Alright, Alright, I'll find you a room." He started walking. "But first, we need to get you a jacket, I think one of Quill's old ones should fit just fine." Aris smiled and followed her Captain.


	2. Chapter Two

Aris was on the ship for exactly six months.   
She was sitting in the first mates chair, Kraglin didn't protest much, he didn't feel like being electrocuted. Aris looked at Yondu's control console and the collectable toys he kept there. She reached over and picked up this weird looking green baby thing. She squeezed it and it squeaked, Aris laughed and squeezed it again. Yondu took his eyes off the stars to look at her. "You're easily amused, do you know that?" Aris shrugged.  
"How old are you anyway?" He asked. Her brows furrowed. "Uh, how old are you?" She asked.   
"56, I think." He said smiling.   
"20." She said.   
"You're younger then I'd thought you'd be." He said. "If your Thor's daughter shouldn't he be old?"   
Aris shook her head, "I was a mistake in adolescence besides, pure Asgardians can live up to 5000 years."   
"Pure Asgardian?"   
"My mother was from Midgard, which means my father will be alive long after I'm dead." She squeezed the toy angrily.   
"Aris-"  
"Can we not talk about it anymore? Please?" Yondu nodded. Aris got up from the chair. "I'm going to visit Quill." She put the toy back. 

She left the room and found Peter sitting at a table listening to his Walkman. Aris slipped on the bench, Peter saw her and took off his headphones. "Whats that?" She asked.   
"My walkman." He said.   
"The thingy that plays your music?" She asked, Peter nodded, "would you like to listen?" Aris nodded and he put the headphones over her ears.   
Aris moved her head to the beat of the song making Peter smiled. "It is pleasant." She shouted. "What is it called?"   
"Moonage Daydream, David Bowie, 1972."   
When the song was over she handed the headphones back to Peter. "We don't have music like that on Asgard." She said. "Is he from Midgard?"   
Peter nodded.   
Aris opened her mouth to speak but a bag of dirty laundry was thrown on the table. "Hey bastard." The man said. "Do my laundry." His friends and himself laughed, Aris stood up from the table. "And why would I do that?" She whispered, eyes narrowed.   
"Because your a woman." The man said, making his friends laugh. They walked away, Aris picked up the bag of laundry and threw it at the mans head. "Do your own damn laundry." She hissed. The man turned around to hit Aris and she put her hand on the handle of her whip, but Peter stepped in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! Hey! Rah, just walk away man, just walk away." Rah tsked and picked up the bag. "Star-boy wont always come to your rescue, bastard. Enjoy it." He walked off.  
Aris and Peter sat back down.   
"So," he started awkwardly, "what was your mother like?" Aris stiffened. "Um, I don't know, I never met her, she died while having me." Aris took a breath. "I never got to see Midgard...earth. My first memories are of Asgard, and my uncles face was the first I saw which didn't look at me with distaste."    
"Why your uncle? Why not your dad?"   
"My father." She said standing up, "was never really a father to me, I was a mistake, an accident, he made that clear enough. I'm just his bastard." She went over to lean against the wall. "Bastard." She repeated with a smile. "I got used to the name but it doesn't mean it hurts any less."   
"Why do they call you that? I mean I know what a bastard is, but why didn't they use your name?"   
"Some did, but my title is 'the bastard.'" Aris turned to leave. "I think I'm gonna go to bed. Good-night Peter."

 

Aris laid on her stomach, doodling in bunk, she drew a M-ship and wrote about their trip to Praxius IX. There was a knock on the door, sighing she put her pencil down and rolled out of bed. She opened her door and looked up at Kraglin. "What?"   
"Captain wonders of if you're coming down for dinner."   
Aris shook her head, "I'll pass..." she walked away and curled up in bed. When she woke up she looked out the window staring at the clusters of stars, these ones were teal, blue and orange.   
Sighing, she had no idea what time it was, she untangled her arm from the blankets and grabbed her watch. "6:00am." She put the watch down and stared up at the ceiling. "Might as well get up."   
Aris reached under her bed and pulled out her bag of toiletries and walked to the showers. She pressed a button which closed off the showers from undesired eyes, Yondu had that installed instead of having a separate bathroom put in.   
Aris scrubbed her body until it was red. The soap slipped from her hands and she screamed in frustration, sliding down the walls, letting the warm water spray on the crown of her head.

Once she was dressed and out of the shower she went down to the kitchen. There was a bit of bread left and some sort of meat. She made a small sandwich and walked around the Eclector, she saw movement up in the cockpit. She walked up the steps and saw a all too familiar blue hand resting on the armrest. The chair beside him was empty so she sat down with half of the sandwich in hand. "Captain." She said pulling her knees to her chest and turned her attention to the food in hand. She may have only knew Yondu for six months but there was something between them, they got along together.   
"You smell nice." He said quietly.  
Aris snorted and put the sandwich down. "What an odd thing to say, Captain." She teased.   
"Shut up." He said.  
Aris smiled and played with her bullwhip. "Where are we going today?" She asked.   
"Badoon." He said. Aris' gasped. "No, we cant!"   
Yondu looked over at her, her eyes were wide and her breathing was shallow, she seemed afraid.   
"Why not?"  
"Heimdall." She said.   
"Who?"   
Aris rolled her eyes, "The Watcher of Worlds? Gatekeeper of Asgard?"   
"Oh right, well Badoon isn't in the realms."   
"Yes but its still in his line of sight."   
Yondu made her look at him. "Darlin' trust me, your safe with me." Aris nodded. 

 

They landed on the green planet. The inhabitants were large, green and reptilian. They past by a group of men having a drink outside a place that looked like a restaurant. One of the men eyed her suspiciously, one of his friends whispered in his ear. They stood up. Aris put her hand on her whip.   
"Aris of Asgard." He said. Her grip tightened on the handle.   
"Your uncle put a bounty on you, for your safe return."   
"I'm not going home." She told him.   
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. But I need the money."   
The Ravagers were scattered to the sides by the mans friend. Yondu whistled, his Yaka arrow left its strap and he directed it to line up in between the aliens eyes. "You can tell her uncle that she's safe, shes in good hands."   
The alien shook his head. "Thats not good enough, Centaurian. I need that money." Yondu growled and started to whistle, but was interrupted by Aris' hand on his arm. "I got this." She said, finding her confidence again. Yondu didn't move.   
"Captain, please."  
He caught his arrow and backed up.   
"I have no intention on going back." She said.   
"I could take you, girl, dead or alive. Your a bastard, you won't be mourned."   
In rage Aris unhooked her whip and cracked it, slashing the reptiles face. Green blood dripped onto the road.   
"As I said, I'm not going back."   
With a yell the alien charged for Aris, she ducked and he tripped falling behind her, she spun around on the balls of her feet and cracked her whip again on his back, he yelled, and tried to get up. Twisting her hand she sent an electrical current through the leather and struck his back again, electrocuting him, not enough to kill but enough to knock unconscious.   
Aris spun the whip in the air and cracked it one last time. The aliens friends picked him up and ran off. Aris wrapped her whip around her shoulder as a precaution. "Come on." She told the Ravagers.   
"Lets go get what we came for." 

They left the city and entered a swamp. In the centre of the swamp. There was a small little cave, big enough for a small person to go through. Yondu gave Aris a pat on the shoulder. "All you, darlin'" he said. She nodded and went inside the cave. "What am I looking for?" She shouted.   
"There should be a large ruby, its oval shaped and as big as your head!" He yelled back.  
"We came all this way for a fucking Ruby?" She screamed.   
"Hey! I got a good price on it! Now lets get the ruby and head to Xandar, Broker is waiting for us!"   
Aris and rolled her eyes, going deeper into the cave. She saw the glittering red jewel. She yanked it off the stone and made her way outside.   
She handed the stone to Yondu. "Atta girl!" He gave her a pat on the back and handed the stone to one of his crewmen to put in his bag. 

Back in the city they stocked up on food and water as well as anything else they might need and left. 

Aris sat the table with her knees to her chest, she was reading a book she picked up on Xandar on their last visit.   
Peter sat down across from her. "Pete! What's up?"   
"I gotta ask." He said. "Why do you use a whip?" Aris put her book down and shrugged. "I like it, I don't have to use a whip, I am a skilled swordsman. But I guess I'm using the whip as an extension of my power."   
"Electrokinesis."   
Aris nodded, but got an idea. "Thats not all I can do."   
This got Peter curious.   
"Something I call Meteorokinesis."   
Peter opened his mouth to say something but Aris held up a finger.   
It started raining on the ship.   
Yondu could be heard over the intercom. "God dammit, Aris! Stop making it rain on my ship!"   
Peter and Aris laughed and she stopped the rain.   
"You are so cool." Peter said.   
Aris gave him a smug smile. "I know."   
"So is it just rain?"   
She shook her head. "I can create lightning storms, thunderstorms, winds of hurricane force, tornadoes, tidal waves. This is all hereditary."  
"Cool."  
The warning lights flashed overhead, signalling they needed to get into their M-ships. 

They stepped off their ships and onto Xandar.   
Broker was waiting for them, Aris, Kraglin and Peter joined Yondu inside.   
"Yondu, how good to see you." Broker said. Yondu smiled, flashing his teeth. "We have what we discussed." He motioned Aris forward, she gently placed the ruby on the table. Broker examined it and sighed in satisfaction. "Excellent, excellent." Broker turned around and dropped a large sack on the counter. "100, 000 units, as we discussed." Yondu collected the money and gave Broker a silent thank you.   
They left the merchants shop and went back to the ship.

 

Aris went up to the cockpit and kicked Kraglin out of his chair, she sat down in it with a long sigh.   
"We gotta get you you're own chair there darlin' can't have Kraglin standing all the time."   
When Yondu had the coordinates he desired he got up from the chair.   
"Were are we going now Cap?" She asked.   
"Always so curious." He mumbled. "Contraxia." He said, Aris groaned and hung her head. "But its cold and there's nothing for me to do at the Iron Lotus...except wait." She said the last bit with disgust.   
"Aris, I gotta let my boys unwind every once and a while. If you stick this trip out, without getting angry, I'll get you a new set of gloves, how's that?" Aris looked down at her fingerless gloves, the leather was cracked and chipping from her use of the whip. She sighed in defeat. "Fine. Fine whatever." She crossed her arms and flipped her hair.   
"But I want you all back on this ship by tomorrow morning." She said before walking away.   
"Yes, Captain." Yondu mocked. 

 

Aris listening to the faint sound of techno music from the cockpit of the M-ship. She was sitting upside down in Yondu's chair, counting to 10 over and over again. "I need new books." She whined, letting herself fall back off the chair she walked around the ship, occasionally cleaning or fixing things. 

 

Aris was arguing with Yondu about something stupid, she knocked one of his collectables over. Their argument was interrupted by a transmission.   
"Hello." The voice said, "am I interrupting a lovers quarrel? I must say, Aris, he's much to old for you." He chuckled.   
Aris looked at the screen in confusion.   
"Uncle?"


	3. Chapter Three

Aris scanned the area behind him. "Where are you?" She asked. Loki shrugged it off.   
"Doesn't matter, I need your help, Aris."   
"My help? My help? You put a bounty on me!"   
Loki sighed. "Aris, I was worried about you."   
"I'm fine, I'm where I want to be."   
Loki laughed. "Ah yes, living with Ravagers."   
"I don't just live with them, I am one of them."   
Loki sighed, "believe what you want."   
Aris put her hands on her hips. "Uncle-"   
"we'll be in contact soon." The transmission ended.   
She curled her hands into fists and thunder was heard throughout the ship. Aris stormed off and hid in her room.

 

His next transmission didn't come for another week.   
Aris stood there with her hands on her hips. "What do you want uncle?"   
"Aris, good to see you my dear."  
Aris tapped her foot.   
"I have information regarding your mother." He said, Aris froze. "You what?"   
"I know all about your mother, if you come to Midgard you can meet her family."   
Aris bit her lip. "And why would I do that?" She asked.   
"When you were a little girl you used to tell me you'd dream about meeting your mother, but she's dead. I have the next best thing, your grandfather." He moved to show Aris a man named Erik Selvig that was under his control but Aris had no idea, she thought he was the real thing. Aris turned to Yondu. "Captain..." she said.   
"Something don't feel right." He said.  
"But this is probably the one chance I'll get to known my mother, who she was. Captain, please? It'll only be a few days."  
She looked up at Yondu with pleading eyes.   
"Alright, a few days!"   
Aris hugged Yondu which left him frozen in place, she backed up and cleared her throat. "A few days." She said in a more serious tone.  
Aris ran to her room, packed a bag and ran to her M-ship.   
She took off and made the 7 jumps to Earth. Her M-ship looked like one of those black army jets that humans see in the sky so she didn't have to concentrate on concealing heavily.   
She landed just outside of Loki's hideout and stepped inside. It was full of equipment and people in lab coats. Loki came into view with a shorter blond man.   
"Uncle, where's my grandfather?" She asked, Loki sighed and his grip tightened on the spear. "I am sorry, my dear." He pressed the tip to her chest but nothing happened. "I don't understand, why isn't it working?"   
Aris shrugged.   
"I don't know what that does but you don't need to use that on me, I'll help you, with whatever you need, your my uncle, my family." She said with a smile. 

 

Aris went about the hideout, she would pick up tools and devices, the scientists would take hem from her, reminding her not to touch them. Aris huffed and went of to find her uncle. He was talking to Barton. "Uncle I'm bored." She said, slightly whining. Loki looked down at her and grabbed her hand, smiling. "You'll have a job soon, okay?"   
Aris nodded.  
"Go amuse yourself for now."   
She walked off and practiced with her whip, she used old and broken equipment as target practice.   
Bored again she went to a spot she hadn't been in, on a table of equipment was a glowing blue cube. She wanted to touch it but she thought best not to. 

Leaving she ran into Barton holding a tablet.  
"Whatcha got there?" She asked.   
"Its a tablet." He said, she chased after him. "What's a tablet?"   
They walk into where Selvig and other men were working.   
"Where did you find all these people?" He asked.   
"Shield has no shortage of enemies doctor." Barton held up the tablet showing Selvig a thing on Iridium. "Is this the stuff you need?"   
"Yeah, iridium, its found in meteorites. It forms anti-potions, very hard to get a hold of."   
Aris stood there and listened to the two men talk.   
"Especially if Shield knows you need it."   
"Well I didn't know!"   
Loki came around the corner. Aris smiled, "uncle!"   
"Hey!" Selvig started, "the Tesseract is showing me so much. Its more then just knowledge, its truth."   
Loki smiled, "I know, what did it show you agent Barton?"   
"My next target."  
"Tell me what you need."   
"I'll need a distraction." He grabbed his bow. "And an eyeball."   
Aris' grip tightened on her whip. "Good, I'm bored, lets go." 

 

They ended up in Germany, Loki used magic to appear like he was in a suit and he turned Aris' clothes into a dress, they stepped into the museum. His sceptre turned into a cane. Loki held out his arm and Aris took it. "So what are we doing here uncle?" She asked.   
"Just stay quiet and remain observant of your surroundings, like I taught you."   
Aris nodded and she could hear music from the gala.   
They stopped at a balcony and looked down at a man who was speaking on the small makeshift stage.   
"Thats our target?" She asked. Loki nodded. "Come."   
They walked down the stairs.   
Aris stayed close as Loki, he flipped his cane and it turned back into his sceptre, a guard notices and pulls out his gun, Aris took her whip off her belt and knocked the gun from his hand and hit the man over the head with the handle.   
Loki goes over and he grabs the doctor, flipping him onto a table. He pulls out the optical device and plunges it into the doctors eye. The doctor starts twisting in pain. The gala becomes chaotic, people start to run and leave.   
With the scanning complete the two walk out, their clothes transform back into what they were, Loki's armour and Aris' ravager garb.  
Aris hears a siren and looks over Loki's shoulder, a police car is speeding down the street, he blasts the car and it flips over. Grabbing Aris' arm they materialize before the frightened Germans.   
"Kneel before me." He says. They crowd ignores him and an illusion of Loki appears at the other end of the crowd and then another, and another. "I said," they stomp the spear on the ground. "Kneel!"   
The crowd shuts up and get down on the floor hesitant and afraid. Aris stands beside her uncle with her hand on the handle of her whip. "Is not this simpler?" He asked, "is this not your natural state?" He starts to walk through the crowd. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." An elder man shows up. "Not to men like you."   
"There are no men like me."   
"There are always men like you."   
"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." He turns to Aris, "do away with him." She nods, "yes uncle."   
She steps in front of Loki and undos her whip from her belt, giving it a test, she goes for the mans face, Steve Rogers shows up and full uniform, he catches the end of the whip and it wraps around his hand, he pulls forward and Aris falls down.   
He lets go of the whip and starts to speak.   
"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."   
Aris goes to stand behind Loki and he starts to speak. "The soldier, a man out of time."   
"I'm not the one who's out of time."   
A quinjet shows up and has a large gun pointed at Loki and partially at Aris.   
Natasha speaks from the speaker. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down. He tries to blast the jet but it moves out of the way, Steve throws his shield and it hits Loki, he is unfazed. They start fighting, Aris tries to attack Steve with her whip but he avoids getting hit, shes dragged into the fight. "I don't want to hurt a lady." He says, "good." Aris smiles, "I'll have no trouble hurting you!" She kicks him in the chest and he stumbles, Loki re-enters the fight. He hits Steve with the end of his sceptre, Steve is on his knees. Loki walks up to him, "kneel." He says. "Not today." Steve said, he got up and kicked Loki in the jaw. Loki picks up Steve and throws him. Aris hears some form of music and looks up at the sky in confusion. Tony Stark shows up in full suit, he shoots at Loki, who gets hit and flies backwards. Aris cracks her whip on the floor and goes for Tony, he catches it and flies up, taking Aris a good few feet off the ground, he shakes her until she lets go of the whip. The wind is knocked out of her when she hits the ground. "A whip." He said, "you need to make better choices." He mocked. Tony turns back to Loki, pointing small missiles at him. "Make your move, Reindeer Games."   
There is a gold flash and Loki's armour disappears, he puts his hands up in surrender. Steve turns to Aris who follows her uncles lead and puts her hands up. "Good move." Tony said.   
"Mr. Stark."   
"Captain."   
Aris and Loki are cuffed and taken onto the quinjet.   
Aris picked at her nails, she turns her head towards Natasha's voice. "Not a word."   
"I don't like it." Steve says, turning to Tony.   
"What, Rock of Ages and his groupie giving up so easily."   
"I don't remember it being ever that easy. This guy packs a wallop and so does she."   
"Still, you are pretty spry, for a older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"   
"What?"   
"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."   
"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."   
"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." Thunder and lightning hit the jet, making it shake.   
"Wheres that coming from?" Natasha asks. Thunder continues rumbling. Aris and Loki stare out of the glass ceiling intently.   
"Whats the matter?" Steve asked. "Are you scared of a little lightning?"   
"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Loki replied. Theres a thump on the roof which makes the jet shake. Tony puts on the mask and Steve puts on his. Tony opens the door and walks for the opening. Thor lands on the landing strip and hits Tony with his hammer and he goes backwards. Thor grabs Loki and leaves the jet. "And now theres that guy." Tony says.   
"Another Asgardian?"   
"This guys a friendly?"   
"Doesn't matter."   
"If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."   
"Stark." Steve says, "we need a plan of attack."   
"I have a plan, attack." Tony leaves the jet. Steve grabs a parachute.   
"I'd sit this one out Cap." Natasha said.   
"I don't see how I can."   
"These guys come from legend, they're basically gods."   
"There's only one god ma'am and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He grabs his shield and jumps out. 

Its silent on the jet for a few minutes.   
"So, what's the flame on your jacket for?" Natasha asks.   
"Um, that's...classified."   
"How do you know Loki?"   
"He's my uncle."   
Natasha was silent for a minute. "You're from Asgard too?"   
Aris nodded, "yes, though I was born here, my mother was from a small town in Norway. But she died while having me, my father took me to Asgard, but." She picked at her nail.   
"But?"   
"My grandfather didn't see it my fathers responsibility to raise me, and he agreed, I used to follow my father around as a kid and try to get him to play with me but he was so distant." Aris took a breath, "after a while I stopped, I gave up, I was tired of begging. Loki raised me, you know? He taught me everything I knew...everything."   
"A daughter shouldn't have to beg her father for a relationship." Natasha said and turned to give Aris a small smile. "But why are you telling me this?"   
"I feel like I can trust you."


	4. Chapter Four

They land on the Helicarrier.   
"Whoa! This thing is so cool!" Aris said, Natasha came behind her and grabbed her upper arm. Half a dozen armed men take Loki who is in chains. "Hey, where are they going."   
"We're going to lock him up."  
"And what about me?"   
"We're not sure yet." 

They questioned Aris, when they were certain she had nothing to hide and meant no harm, they let her go. 

 

Aris walks into the briefing room, her hands free from the cuffs. She catches sight of her father and glares.   
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce said. Aris points to him. "Who's the guy in purple?"   
"Oh I'm sorry, I'm Doctor Banner." He held out his hand and she shook it. "Aris."   
"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve asks, Aris sits down.   
"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." Thor sees Aris and does a double take. "What are you doing here?" He asks her sternly. "Don't you mind what." She spat.   
Steve sighed, "An army? From outer space?" He said seriously. Aris snickered and remembered where she left her ship, she cursed under her breath.   
"So he's building another portal, thats what he needed Selvig for."   
"Selvig?"   
"He's an astrophysicist." Banner said.  
"He's a friend."   
"He's how he got me here." Aris said. Steve turns to her, "what do you mean?"   
"I was so desperate to know about my mother, so Loki tricked me into believing that this Selvig guy was my grandfather, though when I got here he admitted that he lied but he said he needed my help, and he's family, I-" Aris sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I should have listened to Yondu."   
"Who's Yondu?" Natasha asked.   
"Never mind, anyway, carry on." Aris motioned forward with her hand.   
"Loki has Selvig under some kind of spell, along with one of ours."   
"Barton?" Aris asked, Natasha nodded.   
"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve said.   
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."   
Aris turned to Banner, "you have an interesting way of putting things Doctor."   
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother."   
"He killed eighty people in two days."   
"He's adopted." Thor said with a smile.   
Banner came to rest his arm on the back of Aris' chair. "I think its about the mechanics, Iridium what do they need the Iridium for?"   
Tony Stark entered the room with Agent Coulson. "Its a stabilizing agent." Tony said something to Coulson but Aris couldn't make it out. "It means the portal wont collapse on itself like it did at Shield." He walked up to Thor. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing." He gave Thor a pat on the arm, out of the corner of his eye he saw Aris. "Ah, whip-girl." He said.   
"Whip-girl?" She pulled her mouth into a frown, "couldn't come up with something more creative?"   
"I could have but I didn't want to, whats she doing here anyway?"   
"She's my daughter." Thor said, Tony wasn't sure how to respond so he just have Thor another pat on the arm. "Good, uh, good for you."  
Aris rolled her eyes.   
"Anyway, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long, as Loki wants." He turned to the crew. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did."   
"What's Galaga?" Aris asked.   
"How does Fury even see these?" Tony covered an eye with his hand.   
"He turns."   
"Sounds exhausting."   
Tony started to input stuff into the monitors. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."   
"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"   
"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the readings?"   
"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?"   
"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."   
"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."   
"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."   
"Finally, someone who speaks English."   
"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, Tony shook Banners hand. "Its good to meet you, Doctor Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."   
Banner looks down. "Thanks."    
Fury walks in the room. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him."   
"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon."   
"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."   
"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor looks at Aris who shakes her head and shrugs.   
"I do," Steve says, "I understood that reference."   
"Shall we play, Doctor?"   
"This way, sir." Banner and Tony left the room. 

 

Aris was walking down the hall when she felt a large hand on her upper arm. "We need to talk. Now."   
She turned to face her father. "Uh-uh." She said, shaking her head. "I have nothing to say to you." She tried to walk away, Thor grabbed her firmly by he shoulders. "Yes, we do, I'm your father, you'll do as I command."   
Aris squinted at Thor. "Are you, though? Because the only memories I have of you are of you turning your back on me."   
"Hey! I will not take your tone of disrespect."   
Aris crossed her arms. "What do you want me to say? Congratulate you on being a great father when you haven't been in my life? You haven't raised me."   
"What, and Loki did?"   
"He taught me to walk, to talk, to read, write, all the things you were supposed to do, he did. You may be my father, but you're not my dad." She turned to walk away.   
"Aris!"   
She stopped walking and clenched her fist in frustration, she turned back to Thor.   
"I know no apology can fix what I did to you, but I was young, naive, I didn't care about anyone else but myself, but you are my daughter." Aris marched right up to him. "You have no idea what I went through, do you?" Aris shook her head and laughed, "I couldn't go anywhere in Asgard without armed guards and my handmaidens, I couldn't go anywhere without people throwing me insults or calling me bastard." She started tearing up. "And what, you think that if you give me an apology, I'll forgive you? I had to leave Asgard father! When you were exiled, I had to leave! Everything! Because without you around I wasn't safe, it wasn't safe."   
Thor moved the lapel of her jacket. "So you joined the Ravagers." He sighed.   
"Yes, I did."   
"Aris, their pirates, thieves-"  
"So am I."   
"Aris-"   
She held up a hand to stop him. "I feel accepted with them, just how I felt accepted with uncle."   
"Is that why you joined sides with Loki? Because you felt acceptance? Aris, he used you! What did he give you that I could not!"   
"Love!" Aris shouted, tears fell from her eyes. "Loki gave me the parental love I craved while you were off playing hero."   
"Aris." He went to sooth her but she knocked his hand away. "Don't touch me!"   
"What do you want from me? Tell me and I shall grant it." He pleaded.   
"Your love, thats all I ever wanted." She cried. "All I wanted was to feel loved by my father! But you turned away from me!" She let out a gut wrenching sob and crossed her arms over her body. Thor approached her cautiously and took her into his arms, letting her cry. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you like I did, I promise, I'll make it better, I'll make it better." He started to rock her gently. "You are not my bastard, you are my daughter." He rubbed soothing circles into her back.   
Aris calmed down, her cries turned into hiccups. "You are my daughter. And I love you." 

 

Aris and Thor were looking at a monitor with Coulson, he pulled up the file on Jane Foster. "As soon as Loki took the doctor we moved Jane Foster. We've got an excellent observatory in Traunsee. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe."   
"Thank you."   
"Shes really pretty." Aris commented.   
"Its no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."  
"He talks about you a lot. You changed his life. You changed everything around here."   
The three left the monitor and walked.   
"They were better as they were. We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we...we come here battling like bilgesnipe."   
Aris snorted at that.   
"Like what?"   
"Bilgesnipe? You know, large, scaly. Big antlers." He made antlers with his hands. "You don't have those?"  
"Don't think so."   
"They are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path." Thor walks over to the side of the ship and looks out the window. Aris stands there, arms crossed and chewing on a fingernail.   
"When I first came to earth." Her father continued. "Loki's rage followed me here, and your people paid the price. And now again. In my youth I courted war."   
"War hasn't started yet."   
The three of them look up at Fury. "You think you can make Loki tell us what the Tesseract is?"   
"I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield, it's not just power he craves, it's vengeance, upon me. There's no pain that would prize his need from him."   
"A lot of guys think that, until the pain stops."   
"What are you asking me to do?"   
"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?"   
"Loki is a prisoner."   
"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?"   
Coulson turns to Aris. "I gotta ask, how is he your father? He doesn't look much older then you."   
Aris rolled her eyes, "everyone always asks that question." She sighed. "My mother is from earth, father met my mother, and about 21 years later I was born."  
"So your mortal? Just like us?"   
Aris nodded. "Just like you, except I have cool powers." She added. 

 

Aris walked into the lab with Thor and Natasha.   
"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Natasha said.   
"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed." "Loki's manipulating you."   
"And you've been doing what, exactly?"   
"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."   
"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." He pulled the monitor towards them. "I'd like to know why Shield is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."   
"Because of him." Fury pointed to Thor, "and her, I guess, considering its just come to my attention that she's his daughter." He said, including Aris.   
"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet, who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."   
"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor said.   
"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."   
"Like you controlled the cube?"   
"You're work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war."   
"A higher form?"   
"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something."   
"Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms everything right down."   
"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?"   
"I'm sure if he still made weapons Stark would be neck deep..."   
"How is this about me?"   
"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"  
"I thought humans were more evolved than this."   
Aris rubbed her forehead and listened to everyone argue.   
"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up"   
"I really miss space." Aris mumbled.   
"Do you always give your champions such mistrust?"   
"Are you boys really that naive?" Natasha asked.   
"Shield monitors potential threats."  
"Captain America is on threat watch?"   
"We all are."  
Tony turned to Steve. "Your on that list? Are you above or below angry bees?"   
"Stark so help me God, if you make one more wisecrack-"   
"Threat! Verbal threat. I feel threatened."   
Aris rolled her eyes and started tapping her foot. 

"You speak of control yet you court chaos."   
"Thats his M.O. Isn't it? I mean what are we? A team? No no no, we're a chemical mixture that creates chaos. We're...we're a time bomb."   
"You need to step away."   
Tony put his hand on Steve's shoulder. Thor turned to his daughter, who clearly had a headache. "This is insane, you're all acting insane." She said, feeling frustrated.   
"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?"   
Steve pushes Tony off. "You know damn well why. Back off!"   
Tony and Stark are face to face with each other.   
"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."   
"Big man in a suit of armour, take that off, what are you?"   
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."   
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."   
"I would just cut the wire."   
"Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."   
"A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."   
"Put on the suit, lets go a few rounds."   
Thor laughed. "You people are so petty, and tiny." Aris snorted with laughter.   
"Yeah this is a team."   
"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner back to his-"   
"Where? You rented my room."   
"The cell was just in case-"   
"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't, I know, I tried. I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" Aris saw him reach for the sceptre, she put her hand on her whip. Banner slowly gets upset as he looks at Romanoff, who looks at him unnerved.   
"You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?" Fury and Natasha put their hands on their guns. "Doctor Banner, put down the sceptre."   
Banner looks down and seems generally shocked that he was holding it, the computer beeps. Banner walks off to the computers. "Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all."   
"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.   
"Is that whats happening? Because I am so confused right now." Aris said.   
"I can get there faster." Tony says.   
"Look, all of us-"   
"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it."   
Tony turns to leave but Steve stops him.   
"You're not going alone."   
"You gonna stop me?"  
"Put on the suit, lets find out."   
"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."   
"Put on the suit."   
Banner looks up from his computer. "Oh, my God."   
Theres an explosion, Everyone is thrown in every direction. Steve, Fury, Aris, Thor and  
Tony are thrown across while Natasha and Banner is down in the lower equipment room. Steve looks up at Tony.   
"Put on the suit!"   
"Yep!"   
Aris struggled to her feet. "What the hell is happening?"   
Fury turns on his bluetooth. "Hill!"   
Alarms started going off.   
"Engine 3 is down." Fury said. "Stark do you copy that? Coulson! Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armoury!" Fury left the room. "Romanoff?"   
Aris looked at her dad. "Wheres Mjölnir?"   
Thor held out his hand and waited, Mjölnir flew into his hand. "Here it is."  
Aris smiled, she unhooked her whip and gave it a flick. It cracked nicely and Aris smiled. Thor raised his eyebrows. "A whip? Why not a sword, or, or a hammer?" Aris' smile grew wicked, with a twist of her hand sparks of lightning crackled from the whip. "Thats why."   
They left the destroyed lab. 

Aris heard a loud bang and roaring. "What the fuck is that?"   
"Hey! Watch your mouth young lady."   
"Sorry dad." It dawned on Aris. She put her hand out in front of her dad and stopped walking. "What is it? What is wrong?"   
"Where is Natasha and Banner?" Aris took off towards where they fell.   
"Aris!" Thor yelled but went with her. 

 

Natasha was laying on the ground and Banner was about to strike her. Thor jumped at him and they went through the wall. "So that's what he looks like as the other guy?"   
Banner was big and green, his clothes were torn and he only wore pants. "Hey Natasha." Aris said before hopping through the hole in the wall. Thor and Banner started fighting with their fists, Thor was straining. "We are not your enemies Banner! Try to think!"   
Aris studied the situation and kept her hand on her whip. Banner hit Thor and he went through blocks of metal.   
"Hey!" Aris shouted, hitting his back with her whip. Banner roared and turned around. He charged for her, Aris took advantage of her small frame and danced around him. When he had his back turned she hopped on his back and put the whip on his neck and grabbed both ends, putting him in a chokehold, trying to bring him down or knock him out, either one works. Banner was roaring and grunting, trying to get Aris off his back. He grabbed her leg and threw her off, she landed on a wall, hearing the crack of a rib she gasped as she landed on the floor.   
Aris looked over at Thor who socked Banner in the face with his hammer. Getting up slowly she picked up her whip. She spun the whip, enjoying the sound it made when it came into contact with the floor. When she built up enough electricity she wrapped it around Banners arm and delivered a large shock. He pulled at the whip and sent Aris off a good 15 feet.   
Thor hit him again, Banner fell into a plane, he ripped a wing off and threw it like a frisbee at Thor who dodged it, the wing cut a jeep in half. He threw his hammer to Banner who caught it, he went flying back.   
"Does this make you rethink the whip?" Thor said in a playful tone.   
"A little bit!"   
They ran after Banner.   
He tried to lift the hammer. Thor ran right up and kneed him in the jaw. He picked up his hammer and climbed onto his back, doing what Aris did a few moments ago, he put Banner in a chokehold with his hammer.   
She stood there clutching her slowly healing rib. "Like father, like daughter." She mused.   
Banner jumped and they went through the ceiling.   
"Oh shit." Aris groaned, she crouched down low and followed them through the hole. Banner was throwing Thor around like a doll.   
"Hey!" Aris shouted, a snarl was etched into her features. "That's my dad you big green asshole!" She cracked the whip in his face. Banner stumbled backwards and shook his head. Aris saw a jet through the window, it started shooting at Banner, Thor slid over to where Aris is. "Are you alright?"   
She shrugged and yelled over the gun. "My rib is broken and I'm a little banged up but I'm alright." Banner jumped out the window onto the jet. Aris touched the cut on her forehead.


	5. Chapter Five

Thor and Aris ran to where Loki was being held, Thor wanted to make sure he was still there. The door was opening. "No!" Thor shouted and ran for him. But it was an illusion. When Thor was in the glass box the door shut. Loki was standing outside. "Dad!" Aris ran for the glass but Loki wrapped his arm around her waist, restraining her.   
"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" He asked.   
Thor yelled and hit the glass with his hammer, it cracks and the cell shakes. Loki smiles and starts laughing, he tossed Aris to his guard who puts the girl in a chokehold.   
"The humans think us, immortal." Loki walked over to the control panel.   
"Should we test that?" Aris saw Agent Coulson and smiled, Aris bit the guard, he screamed and let her go. Coulson hit him with the large gun her was holding. "Move away, please." He told Loki.  
"You like this?" He gestured to the gun. "We started working on the prototype when you sent the destroyer. Even I don't know what it does." He started it up. "Wanna find out?"   
Loki disappeared and appeared behind Coulson in the blink of an eye, he stabbed him with his sceptre and knocked Aris away, she hit her head on something and groaned. She heard her father scream something, getting onto her elbows she watched the scene. The fall gave her a split lip and a cut on the cheek. Loki went over to the control panel and opened the floor, the wind stung Aris' face. He pressed the button and the cell fell.   
"Dad!" Aris screamed. She looked over at Loki and shook her head, still in shock. She turned to her uncle. "Who are you?" She whispered. She struggled to her feet and ran from the room.   
"Aris! Come back here!" Loki shouted, but she didn't turn back. "Listen to your uncle!"   
She had to find Natasha, or Steve, or someone.   
She ran to engine 3 and saw Steve dangling by a wire. "Steve!"   
"I could use some help!" He yelled over the wind. Aris grabbed hold of the wire and pulled him up.   
"I need a minute here!" He said as Aris helped him up. "Who are you talking too?"   
"Tony."   
Aris was going to answer but they were being shot at. Steve pulled the lever.   
Tony came flying through and knocked the guy away. Aris stood and leaned against the wall. "How long were you out there for?"   
"About 5 minutes."   
Aris laughed and clutched her side.  
"You okay? You got banged up pretty good."   
"Banner." She said, gesturing to her face. "He went all...green."   
"Where is he now?"   
"Jumped out the window onto a jet. I'm sure he's fine though."   
Everything was silent for a minute.   
"Is it over?" Aris asked.   
Steve nodded.   
"Coulson is down." He said.   
Aris nodded, "I know, I was there." 

 

Aris sat at the briefing table with Tony, Steve and Fury. She kept her head down on a large icepack. Her rib was fully healed and she hand no internal bleeding, but her face was still banged up and she hand a splitting headache. The air was heavy and everything was so quiet.   
"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury tossed the blood covered cards on the table.   
"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."  
Tony gets up and walks away. Aris gets up from her seat. "Tony." She calls after him. Steve puts a hand on her arm. "Leave it be." He said, she nodded and sat back down. Fury continued speaking. "Well, its an old fashioned notion."   
Aris shrugged off her jacket and looked at the Ravagers patch. Her leather vest was ripped. She poked at the bruises on her left arm, they were blue and purple and not yet healing. Steve got up from the table and walked off.   
Agent Hill handed Aris a bottle of water. "Thank you." She said giving the woman a nod.   
"So, Thor's daughter, huh?" She asked.   
"Can we...can we not discuss this right now? Please?"   
The woman nodded. "Thank you." 

 

Tony and Steve came into the briefing room. Aris stood up. "What?"   
"We gotta go."   
"Go where?"   
"We'll tell you on the way. Lets go get Natasha and Barton."   
Aris nodded, putting her jacket on she followed Steve.   
When he was in his uniform he handed Aris a few guns, ammunition and thigh holsters.   
"You'll need more then just that whip."   
Aris nodded and got the guns sorted. She followed Steve to where Natasha was keeping Barton.   
"Time to go."  
"Go where?"   
"I'll tell you on the way."   
Natasha looked at Aris. "He said the same thing to me." Natasha looked at Aris' weaponry. "Look at you, got some new toys?" Aris nodded.   
"Can you fly one of those jets?"   
Barton comes out of the washroom. "I can."   
Steve looks at Natasha who nods.   
"You got a suit?"   
"Yeah."  
"Then suit up." 

Aris waits outside the door for her team to get what they need. 

The four of them walk towards a available Quinjet.   
"Your not authorized to be in here-"   
"Son, just don't."  
The pilot gets off the jet. 

Aris sat in the jet and tapped her foot.   
"What's wrong?" Steve asked.   
"I'm just worried about my dad."   
"He'll be fine." 

 

They flew into New York. Aris stared out the window. The portal was open and Chitauri were pouring in, beginning to destroy the city.   
"Stark, we're on your three, headed northeast."   
"What did you stop for drive-thru?"   
"Drive-thru?" Aris asked, turning to Barton, who sighed, "we have so much to teach you."  
"Swing up Park." Tony told them. "I'm going to lay them out for you."   
Natasha followed Tony and dropped the machine gun and started firing at Chitauri soldiers. 

Aris looked out on her left and saw Loki and Thor fighting on Stark tower.   
"Nat?"   
"I see him."   
Loki knocked Thor down, Natasha started firing at Loki, with a blast from his spear he took out one of the engines and the jet shook. Barton looked for a safe place to land before they crashed. Aris and Steve held on to something.   
The hit a few buildings and landed roughly outside an office.   
Clint and Natasha took off their seatbelts and sighed.  
They open the ramp, Aris and Steve ran out, Natasha and Barton close behind.   
"We gotta get back up there." Steve said, Aris looked up at Stark tower and saw flashes of red and green.   
"This is New York huh?" She whispered, people were running and screaming, cars were crushed or banged up or on fire.   
There was a rumbling, they looked up, something big was coming out of the portal. It was a Leviathan. It flew right past them and dozens of Chitauri soldiers popped out.   
"I should have stayed on the Eclector." Aris said. 

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve asks.   
"Banner?"   
Aris put a hand on Steves shoulder. "What's he sayin'?"   
"He asked if Banner showed up yet."  
Aris snorted. "No."   
the group moved and hid behind a taxi cab.   
"We got civilians still trapped up there."   
Loki sped past them on a Chitauri speeder. They left nothing but destruction in their wake.   
"They're fish in a barrel down there." Steve said. Chitauri land near them and start firing, Natasha fires back, she turns to Steve. "We got this, go."   
"You think you can hold them off?"   
"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure." Barton set up an arrow and let it loose.   
Aris pulled the twin pistols from her holsters and went off with Natasha, firing at Chitauri.   
"I've never used a gun before!" Aris shouted with excitement.   
Natasha rolled her eyes and gave a smirk. "Your a natural." Aris smiled and reloaded. Barton helped civilians off a bus and joined Natasha and Aris.   
"Its like Budapest all over again." Natasha told Barton. "You and I remember Budapest very differently."   
"What happened in Budapest?" Aris asked.   
"Story for another time." Barton let loose another arrow, he reached in his pocket and pulled out an extra earpiece. "Here, so you're not in the dark anymore." 

Aris ran out of ammunition. "Shit." Putting the guns back, she decided to let loose her big guns. She ran for a Chitauri and jumped on the creature. She stuck her fingers in his eyes and electrocuted him. It collapsed and she stood up again. Her hands were covered in a thin layer of the creatures blood.   
She picked up a discarded Chitauri weapon she started to fight off the creatures. "Two against one! Not very fair!" One tried to get the jump on her, she blasted it in the stomach, she turned in time to hit the other one with it. The Chitauri seemed to be never ending. Aris turned to Natasha who was in the same situation as she was. Aris dropped the weapon and leaped onto a Chitauri, she stuck her hand in his chest and turned on the electricity.   
Four advanced for Aris, Steve showed up and knocked them away. Lightning strikes down from the sky and Thor lands in front of Aris. "Hey dad." Aris said, as casually as she could.   
"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked.  
"The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable." He said.   
"Oh how wonderful." Aris said sarcastically.   
"Thor's right, we gotta deal with these guys." Tony says.   
"How do we do this?"   
"As a team."   
"I have unfinished business with Loki."   
"Get in line." Barton said.   
"Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us to..."   
Banner showed up on a small motorbike.   
"So, this all seems horrible." He said, Aris rolled her eyes.   
"I've seen worse."   
"Sorry."   
"No, we could use worse."   
"Stark, we got him." Steve said.   
"Banner?"  
"Just like you said."   
"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."   
Tony rounds the corner with the Leviathan on his tail.   
"I don't see how that's a party." Says Natasha.   
The leviathan and Tony were getting closer, Banner walked forward.   
"Doctor Banner."   
He turned.   
"Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."   
"Thats my secret Captain. I'm always angry." Banner turned into the Hulk and punches the creature square in the face, partially bringing it down, it wanted to move forward and Banner tried to keep it from moving, it was starting to flip.   
"Hold on." Tony fired small little missiles at it.   
Barton ducked for cover, Steve shielded Natasha and Thor placed himself over Aris as the leviathan exploded.   
The Chitauri were displeased and shouted at them. Banner roared back.   
The seven of them stood in a circle, Aris stood with her father and unlatched her whip from her belt.   
Aris looked up to see more of those creatures coming from the portal. "Oh, shit."   
"Now might be a good time to call it Captain."   
"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash."   
"Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asks.   
"Right. Better clench up Legolas." Tony and Barton take off. Aris turns to Natasha. "I thought his name was Clint?"   
"Thor, Aris, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Aris grins wickedly. Thor held out his hand and Aris took it. He started to spin his hammer and they took off. He flew them to the Empire State Building. "Hold on." He said, she gripped onto the metal and looked down, laughing nervously. "As if I'd let go."   
"What do you use to conjure your power?" Aris raised a eyebrow at him she released one hand off the building and wiggled her fingers. She raised it up to the sky. Thor followed her lead with his hammer. Storm clouds rumbled in the sky, it grew dark, lightning struck the building, Aris heard the shattering of glass but kept her focus on the lightning storm. When she felt charged up enough they directed the energy to the portal, she moved her hand back and pushed it forward. "You know, this is not how I imagined we'd bond."   
Thor smiled.   
Chitauri were still coming from the portal but they didn't make it past, they kept exploding, even the leviathan. 

 

Aris eyed Banner on top of one of them, she turned to her dad. "Should we join him? Looks like fun." Thor smiled.   
"Thats my girl."   
They both made a jump for the leviathan.   
Aris pulled out her whip and fought back to back with her father.   
Banner broke off a part of the creature and stuck it in its back, Thor initiated the final blow to bring it down.   
Aris snapped the neck of the last Chitauri on the beast and grabbed a handful of her fathers cape as the beast went down.  
They landed in what looked like a museum or something.   
Aris let go and slid down and onto the floor. She looked to her right, Banner punched her father and he went off.   
Banner left.   
"Okay bye." She said weakly and coiled her whip, Thor stood up, picking up his hammer.   
"What now?" 

 

Aris and Thor left the building and jumped on a Chitauri speeder, taking it for themselves, they almost got knocked over by a leviathan.

They found Steve who was struggling a bit. "You look like you could use some help!" Aris said, Steve smiled at the little blonde. "Yes that would be nice!" The three of them fought together, a Chitauri went for Aris' unprotected midriff. Steve used his shield to cover her, she wrapped her whip around the creature's neck and pulled, hearing a snap.   
She turned her back and heard Steve grunt. When she turned around he was on the ground. "Steve!"   
Thor flipped a car to send the Chitauri off.   
Aris knelt down beside Steve and helped him up. "Are you okay?"   
Steve nodded.   
The trio got into to triangle formation and readied for the next round. 

Aris heard Natasha over her earpiece. "I can close it! Can anybody copy, I can shut the portal down."   
"Do it!" Steve said.   
"No wait!"   
"Tony we can't wait!"  
"Stark! These things are still coming!"   
"I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it."   
"Stark, you know that's a one way trip."   
"Save the rest for return J." 

Aris looked up at Tony carrying the nuke on his back. 

He went straight into the portal. 

All around them the Chitauri and the Leviathans collapsed by themselves, Tony took out their mothership. 

But she couldn't see Tony. "Come on, come on." She whispered.   
"Close it." Steve said after a moment of silence.   
"Steve! Tony is still in there!"   
"We don't have a choice, Aris." 

The portal started to close. 

Tony made it out in time but he was falling.   
"Sun of a gun." Steve whispered.   
"He's not slowing down." Thor spun his hammer, he was about to take off but Banner catches Tony, he slides down a building and onto the ground.   
The three ran over to them, Thor flips Tony over and rips off the mask to his suit.   
"Is he breathing?"   
Tony isn't moving.   
Banner roars and Tony jolts awake with a scream.   
"What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me that no body kissed me."   
"We won." Steve said, leaning back a bit.   
"Alright, yay!" Tony said, lacking enthusiasm and raising his arm weakly. "Hurray, good job guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it."   
"Were not finished yet." Thor said.  
Aris forgot all about her uncle.   
"And then Shawarma after." Tony said. 

They walked into Stark tower and saw Loki try to crawl away, he turns around and they're circled around him, Barton has an arrow pointed at him.   
"If its all the same to you, I'll have that drink now." 

 

They walked into central park. Loki is handcuffed and muzzled, to a blocked area. Thor shakes hands with his team and gives  
Tony opens the Tesseract's case. Banner takes it out and places inside a glass tube, held by Thor. Thor goes gives Loki the other end, but Aris stepped i between. "Wait." She said.   
"Daughter." Thor warned.   
"Just give me a minute, please." Thor sighed and took a few steps back.   
Loki gives Aris sad eyes.   
"When you get back to Asgard you're probably going to be sent away and I'm never going to see you again." She bit her lip to stop her from tearing up. "I wanted to thank you, for raising me. Turning me into the woman I am today, you have given me so much and despite what you have done, all that you've done. You're my family and I still love you." She pulls him down and gives him a kiss on the side of his head, like he did for her. She steps out of the way.   
Thor gives Loki the other end of the case to Loki who reluctantly takes it. "I'll visit soon." She told Thor, he nodded and gave her a one sided hug.   
They're taken into the energy beam.   
Then, one-by-one, the group splinters off, strolling into different directions. Banner climbs in with Tony in his sportscar. But before Tony takes off he turns to Aris. "I never asked you, what do you do up in, space?"   
Aris smiled. "I'm kind of a pirate."   
"Like Treasure Planet."   
Aris is confused. "What's a treasure planet?"  
Tony rolls his eyes and drives away.   
"Aris, come on." He tosses Aris a helmet and they ride away on his Harley he agreed to give her a lift back to her ship. 

They stop a few ways away from her ship. "Well, this is where I get off"   
She gave Steve the helmet and went in for a quick hug.  
"Wait." He said, "how will we reach you if we need your services again?"   
Aris smiles. "When my fathers around, I will be."   
She went into the bushes, she boarded her ship and called Yondu.


	6. Chapter Six

Yondu wasn't happy.  
"I gave you a couple days! And you were gone a week!"   
Aris sighed. "I know! I know! But I kinda just stopped my uncle from taking over Terra."   
"What?"   
Aris groaned. "Just, give me your coordinates!"   
Yondu sighed. 

 

Once back on the Eclector she went up into the cockpit. She was face to face with the familiar blue man.   
"You best start explaining girl."   
Aris sighed and started from the beginning. "Well my uncle tricked me, i was on his side for a bit. We were captured and taken to some sort of floating ship the sky. I reconnected with my father. Then there was arguing. The ship was attacked, I fought a giant green man. My uncle got away, we flew to New York City and fought an army of Chitauri."   
When she reached the end Yondu looked impressed. He reached out and touched the cut on her cheek.   
"As excuses go, that ain't bad." He picked up her left pistol.   
"What a funny looking gun." He pointed it at nothing in particular and pulled the trigger but the gun clicked. He handed it back to Aris.   
"Without the right bullets, these are just decorative."   
Yondu sighed and motioned Kraglin forward, he handed Yondu a long box.   
"While you were gone, I had something made for you, you need a proper weapon."   
"But my whip-"  
"Is not a proper weapon."   
Aris huffed. Yondu opened the box and pulled out a yaka arrow.   
"Now this is just a prototype. We gotta work on your whistling first"   
Aris was lost for words.   
"But I thought only Centaurians..."   
"Listen, I like you, your a good fighter, and your good company to have."   
Aris stood up and took the arrow from the box, hers looked like Yondu's but shorter and silver. The core wasn't red it was a royal blue.   
"This is amazing."   
"We made your implant," he tapped his head, "the same colour."   
"Will it hurt?"   
"No."   
Aris nodded. "So, what first."   
"Well can you whistle?"   
She shrugged. "I don't know but I can try." She focused for a moment a whistled a tune.   
Yondu smiled and laughed. "Your a natural." 

She practiced her whistling for weeks, when Yondu was pleased about her progress he said it was time to get the prosthetic.   
He sat her down in a chair and brought out clippers. "Whoa! No no!"   
Yondu made a sound of annoyance. "What?"   
Aris put a finger in is face. "You are not shaving my hair off!"   
"How else am I supposed to install the prosthetic?"   
Aris took the clippers from him.   
"Do you have scissors?"   
"No."   
Aris left the room. "I'll be back!" 

She found her old dagger and cut her hair to shoulder length. Taking the clippers she shaved the right side of her head until it was bald.   
When she came back Yondu was getting the implant ready, it was a vibrant blue. She sat back down in her chair.   
"Okay, now this isn't gonna hurt." He said turning around. Aligning the prosthetic above her eyebrow he set it. It was thin and started at the beginning of her right eyebrow and stopped at the middle of the crown of her head. Aris flinched when it rooted itself into her flesh.   
"Ow." She whispered. She picked up the handheld mirror and looked, the blue matched her eyes. 

With the new prosthetic in place and arrow by her side, members of the crew treated her differently, some with a higher form of respect, others with disgust over how Yondu favoured her, the newbie, over them.

In the morning Yondu taught her how to control the arrow.   
She started rocky but got better and better. 

She got a chance to use it during a heist. She whistled and took out a few guys and was met with praise. "Atta girl." 

 

They got word from Broker of an orb on the planet of Morag. Yondu was setting the coordinates when Peter insisted on going in alone. They argued about it before Aris had enough. "Yondu, let him go get it."   
Yondu sighed, "fine, fine, go get me that orb boy, but you call us when you have that orb."   
Peter nodded and walked up to Aris, "thanks."   
"No problem Pete, now go before Yondu changes his mind." 

Yondu slipped into his chair and sighed. "I know Peter, he's ready for this." She said.  
"You put to much faith in the boy." He said.   
"And you don't?"   
Yondu didn't say anything. With a sigh Aris sat in her own chair. 

 

When they landed on Morag they didn't see the Milano.   
Once they reached the temple, the orb was gone, Yondu was furious, he turned to Aris. "What were your words again? 'He's ready for this?'" Aris sighed. "Okay, I may have made a misjudgment. Yondu just call him." 

 

Yondu sent out a call, when Peter answered his back was turned.   
"Quill."   
"Hey Yondu." Peter turned around.   
"I'm here on Morag, ain't no orb, ain't no you."   
"Well, I thought I'd save you the hassle."   
"Well, where are you at now, boy?"   
"I feel really bad about this, but I'm not gonna tell you that."   
Aris scoffed at his response.   
"I slaved putting this deal together-"   
"Slaved? Making a few calls is 'slaved'?"   
"And now you're gonna rip me off! We do not do that to each other. We're Ravagers, we got a code."   
"Yeah and that code is 'steal from everybody.'"   
"When I picked you up on Terra-"  
" 'picked me up.' "   
"These boys of mine wanted to eat you."   
"Yeah?"   
"They ain't never tasted any Terran before. I stopped 'em. You're alive because of me! I will find you, I will-"   
Peter cut off the call.   
Yondu grunts in anger and frustration. "Put a bounty on him! Forty K. But I want him back alive." He grabbed Kraglin by the arm. "Yeah Cap."   
"Alive?" Said Horuz.   
"That's what I said."   
"I told you when you picked that kid up, you should have delivered him like we was hired to do! He was cargo! You have always been soft on him, just like you are now with that woman!" Yondu grabbed Horuz by his jacket. "You're the only one I'm being soft on! Now, don't you worry about Mr. Quill. As soon as we get him back here, I'm gonna kill him myself. What we do need to worry about, is who else out there wants that orb!"   
Aris bounced on the balls of her feet. Yondu motioned her forward. She joined him up front, he put his hand on the small of her back and they walked back to the M-ship.   
In her first year on Yondu's crew she easily became his favourite. She wasn't sure if it was because she's a woman or she listens to him.   
There was one instance where he had to much to drink an admitted to her that he thought she was pretty. She laughed it off and told him that he was drunk and should go lay down. 

 

Aris went up to the cockpit with a glass of water. She handed it to Yondu before taking a seat in her chair.   
"Tell me about your trip to Terra again."   
Aris smiled, "I thought you would grow tired of that story."   
"Never when it comes from you."   
Aris felt her cheeks grow warm.  
She told him again about the battle of New York. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." He chuckled.   
"What?"  
"Its got a ring to it."   
"I guess it does yeah." They moved close to a sun, finding it warm she shrugged off her jacket, she wore a high collar halter top. Aris felt Yondu's eyes on her but paid no mind to it.   
The moment was ruined by Kraglin who said Peter was spotted with Broker on Xandar.   
"He tried to sell the orb himself." Aris put her jacket back on.   
Yondu set a course for Xandar. 

 

Yondu took only Kraglin and Aris inside. The two stood by the door, Yondu saw a little sapphire frog in a glass case.  
"Do you got any other cute little buggers like this one? I like to stick 'em all in a row on my control console."   
"I can't tell if you're joking or not."   
"He's being fully serious." Kraglin said. Broker moved from behind his desk.   
"In that case, I can show you-"   
Yondu laughs. "But first, you gonna tell me what this orb is, and why everybody cares so damn much about it. And then you gonna tell me, who out there might wanna buy it."   
"Sir, the high-end community is a-" Yondu cuts him off and mocks him by speaking gibberish. Aris cracks a smile, fully amused.  
"The high-end community is a-" Yondu continues the mocking. Aris snorts and starts laughing. Yondu looks at her and smiles. She tries to regain her composure. "Sorry, I'm sorry." She clears her throat. Yondu turns back to Broker. Broker keeps trying to speak. "Tight-knit...The high-end community is a very tight-knit..." Kraglin joins Aris' laughing fit. Yondu moves his jacket to show Broker his arrow. "I cannot possibly betray the confidentiality of my buyers!" Yondu gives a sharp whistle and the arrow flies to Brokers face. "Now, who again is this buyer of yours?"   
Broker tells them about Ronan and Thanos. The Ravagers leave. 

"That was a waste of time." Aris said, putting her hands on her hips. "Peter still has the orb." She turned to the crew. "Has anyone called in about spotting Peter?"   
They shook their heads. 

Yondu wasn't in the best of moods. Aris put a hand on his shoulder. "Patience, Captain." She said in a soothing tone. "We'll get Peter." He turned to face her. "Someone will turn him over." She said, "or he'll turn himself in."   
Yondu touched her prosthetic. "I hope your right darlin'" 

 

Aris had another nightmare, about New York, that the Chitauri had won and her friends were destroyed. The last thing she saw before she was woken up was Loki, smiling at her.   
She shot right up in bed, almost hitting Yondu. "Hey, hey, easy." He whispered.   
Aris took a moment to catch her breath, she felt very fortunate about her quarters being beside Yondu's.   
"I'm okay." She said, "I'm okay." She took a moment before moving the blanket and getting out of bed. Yondu watched her move to the window looking outside. "I love it when we fly past Knowhere." She said. Yondu looked at her, took in really how short she was, her heeled boots gave her height but without them she was so small. Her shirt rode up sometime in the night and he saw the curve of her back and the dimples right before the waistband of her pants. He stood up from her bed and walked to her. "Having nightmares isn't something to be upset about." He told her. "Even I have them." She turned to face him. "About what?"   
Yondu ran his knuckles down her arm. "A story for another time." He felt himself lean down towards her. Sensing what was going to happen Aris stretched up.   
Their intimate moment was disrupted by Kraglin.   
"You best have a good reason for disturbing me and the lady, boy."   
"Captain, Peter Quill has been spotted on Knowhere."   
Yondu ran out of the room, Aris dressed and followed him. 

They arrived on Knowhere right as Ronan arrived. They spotted him.   
"Quill!" Yondu yelled. "Don't you move boy!" Peter and Gamora start running. Yondu and his crew start pushing people away. "Don't you move! Get out of the way!"   
Aris saw Ronan coming from his ship. "Uh, Captain, shouldn't we be a bit more concerned with Ronan?"   
He didn't listen to her.  
"Captain?"   
He kept walking. Aris huffed in frustration and remained close to him.   
They lost track of Peter. Yondu yelled in frustration. "Where did he go?"  
"His Milano." 

 

The Ravagers left for their ship.   
"He's probably left by now." 

 

They went back to their M-ships and got back to the Eclector. 

Over the radio they heard Peter. "Yondu! Yondu! This is Quill! My coordinates are two-two-seven-K-three-two- four. Just outside Knowhere. If you're there, come get me. I'm all yours." 

 

Yondu headed back for Knowhere.   
Aris gasped lightly, Peter was floating with Gamora in the remnants of a destroyed pod, he had given her his mask and his skin was becoming icy.   
"Yondu..." Aris whispered.   
He pulled Peter and the woman inside. 

Kraglin and a few men bring Peter and Gamora to Yondu. They hold Gamora back and pin Peter against the wall, he starts hitting him. Aris goes to stand beside Gamora.   
"You betrayed me! Steal my money!"  
"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Gamora yelled.   
"When I picked you up as a kid, these boys wanted to eat you. They ain't never tasted Terran before. I saved your life!" Some of the crew nodded their heads in agreement.   
"Oh, will you shut up about that? God! Twenty years, you've been throwing that in my face, like it's some great thing, not eating me! Normal people don't even think about eating someone else! Much less that person having to be grateful for it! You abducted me, man. You stole me from my home and from my family."   
"You don't give a damn about your Terra! You're scared because you're soft, in here!" Yondu beats his chest. "Here! Right here!" He beats Peters chest and grabs him again to hit him.   
"Yondu!" Gamora yells, "Listen to me! Ronan has something called an Infinity Stone!"   
"I know what he's got, girl."   
"Then you know we must get it back! He's gonna use it to wipe out Xandar. We have to warn them. Billions of people will perish."   
"Is that what she's been filling your head with, boy? Sentiment?" He slaps Peter.  
"Eating away your brain like maggots! That's it." Yondu whistles commanding his arrow fly over to point at Peter's throat.   
Aris gasped, "Yondu-"  
"Hush now, darlin'" he tells her. "Sorry boy, But a captain's gotta teach his men what happens to those what cross him."   
"Captain's gotta teach stuff!" Kraglin said the others grunt in agreement.   
Yondu turns his back on Peter, he was about to whistle.   
"If you kill me now, you are saying goodbye to the biggest score you have ever seen."   
Yondu smiles and turns to face Peter. "The Stone? I hope you got something better than that. Because ain't nobody stealing from Ronan."   
"We got a ringer."   
"Is that right?"   
"She knows everything there is to know about Ronan. His ships, his army."   
"He's vulnerable." Gamora said.   
"Hey, what do you say, Yondu, huh? Me and you, taking down a mark side-by-side, like the old days?"   
Yondu hesitated, he thought for a moment and whistled, sending the yaka back in its holster. He starts laughing, the crew and Peter join in, Aris just smiles. "Let him go! Oh! You always did have a scrote, boy! That's why I kept you on as a young'un." They let Peter go, Aris walks up to Peter, he opens his arms for a hug. She just slaps him in the face hard enough to make Yondu flinch. Peter is stunned, he reaches up to touch his cheek. "Ow! What the hell was that for!?"   
"You had me worried sick!"   
"Well I'm sorry!"  
Something shakes the ship.   
They run towards the source of the sounds, Peters Milano is outside, the pilot Yondu placed while he was away spoke. "Captain, the shot was non-damaging."   
"Attention, idiots. The lunatic on top of this craft is holding a Hadron Enforcer." Drax is standing on top of the Milano in a spacesuit holding the enforcer. "It's a weapon of my own design."   
Aris pushes her way forward to stand with Yondu. "What the hell?"   
Aris squinted and smiled, she turned to the man next to her, "its a raccoon." She giggled, the man just looked at her confused.   
"If you don't hand over our companions now, he's gonna tear your ship a new one. A very big new one!"   
"I ain't buyin' it." Yondu said.   
"I'm giving you to the count of five. Five, four, three-" Peter and Gamora rushed over to radio inside the Milano. "No! Wait, hold on! Rocket, it's me, for God sakes! We figured it out! We're fine!"   
"Oh, hey, Quill. What's going on?"


	7. Chapter Seven

Aris stood beside Kraglin, she put her hands on Yondu's shoulders, ready to hear this big plan of theirs.   
Gamora and Peter pulled up a few monitors.   
"The stone reacts to anything organic. The bigger the target, the bigger the power surge."   
"All Ronan's gotta do is touch the stone to the planet's surface and zap. All plants, animals, Nova Corps."   
"Everything will die."   
"So Ronan does not make the surface. Rocket will lead a team to blow a hole in the Dark Aster's starboard hull. Then, our craft and Yondu's will enter." He showed two ships entering the hole.   
"Won't there be hundreds of Sakaaran soldiers inside?" Kraglin asked.   
"I think of Sakaaran as paper people." Kraglin smiles and gives Drax a friendly punch on the shoulder, but Drax, not understanding the playful jester, gives Kraglin a look like he's going to hit him. Aris chuckles.   
"Once they know we're on board, Ronan will isolate himself behind impenetrable security doors on deck. Which I can disable by dismantling the power source."   
"We'll make it to the flight deck, and I'll use the Hadron Enforcer to kill Ronan."   
"Once Ronan is dead, we will retrieve the stone. Use these devices to contain it." The devices are passed around, Aris eyes hers curiously.   
" If you touch it, it will kill you."   
"I'll contact one of the Nova officers who arrested us. Hopefully, they'll believe we're there to help"   
"There's one more thing we need to complete the plan." He points to one of Yondu's men who has one robotic eye. "That guy's eye."   
"No! No, we don't. No, we don't need that guy's eye."   
"No, seriously, I need it! It's important to me." Rocket said, laughing. 

 

Aris put her arrow into her thigh holster when the navigator spoke. "Ronan's fleet has been spotted, and will arrive in t-minus fifteen minutes." Aris gets up to find Yondu, who is talking to Peter. "Remember, boy. At the end of all this, I get the stone. You cross me, we kill you all." 

Yondu and Aris enter his M-ship, Aris takes the co-pilot chair.   
"You alright there, darlin'?" He asks.   
"Right as rain." She told him with a smile, he returned it and turned on the radio comm. "Lets go get 'em boys!" 

They approached Ronan's ship.   
"Fire." Yondu commands. They fire at the Dark Astor and the explosion bounces off the ship forming a cloud of fire.  
"Cover it down! Submerge!" The ships, duck beneath the wall of fire and go beneath the Dark Astor.   
Hundreds of Necrocrafts spilled from the ship. "Yondu..." Aris' voice trailed off. He looked at her and back at the Necrocrafts. "We're gonna be alright darlin' don't you worry."   
Aris nodded.   
They blew a hole in the Aster.   
"Quill! Yondu! Now!"   
Yondu started making his way to the hole when the ship is hit.   
"Aw hell! We're going down Quill! No more games with me, boy! I'll see you at the end of this!"   
They started to spiral from the sky. Aris quickly reaches over and grabs Yondu's hand for comfort.   
They crash, Aris hits her head on something. Gasping she undoes her seatbelt and joins Yondu outside. He immediately inspects her for any damage. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She forces a smile, "I'm okay." Yondu reaches down and picks up the sapphire frog.   
"Yondu Udonta." They turn around. About two dozen armed Sakaaran's surround them. "Order your men to turn on the Nova Corps."   
Yondu looks down at Aris and they smile at each other, he moves his jacket out of the way to show them his arrow, he starts whistling. Aris joins him, whistling at a higher frequency. Their arrows dance and the Sakaaran's look confused. "Enough nonsense, Ravager! Time to die-"   
Their arrows pierce through him and take out the entire platoon, leaving trails of blue and red. They catch their arrows and the Necrocraft blows up.   
Aris sighs and puts her head on Yondu's chest. He stumbles back and blinks, surprised. He gives in and wraps an arm over her shoulder.   
"What now?" She asked.  
"We wait, darlin', we wait for someone to come get us."   
Kraglin found them.   
"Whats it like up there?" She asked.   
"Its chaos! Absolute chaos!"   
Aris shrugged. "Can't be any worse then New York."   
Aris' eyes widened when she saw the destruction of the city. Overhead the Aster was falling.   
When it hit the city, Aris let out a choking noise. "What is it?" Yondu asks.  
"They were still on that ship..." 

 

The three met up with the rest of their crew. Inside the city there was a black cloud with purple lightning. When it disapparated Ronan was destroyed and Peter, Gamora, Rocket and Drax stood there with the stone contained.   
"Well, well, well. Quite the light show." Yondu chuckles, slipping his arm around Aris' waist, they turn to face the Ravagers. "Ain't this sweet. But you got some business to attend to before all the nookie-nookie starts." The two walk down to Peter.   
"Peter, you can't. Peter." Gamora says.   
"You gotta reconsider this, Yondu. I don't know who you're selling this to, but the only way the universe can survive is if you give it to the Nova Corps."   
"I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one." He moves his jacket to show Peter his arrow. "Hand it over, son." Peter reluctantly gives Yondu the orb, he chuckles and hands it to Aris. With his free hand he signals his crew away. Aris and Yondu turn to leave.   
"Yondu."   
They turn around.   
"Do not open that orb. You know that, right? You've seen what it does to people."   
They left to the ship.   
Kraglin, Yondu and Aris looked down at Peter.   
"Yeah, Quill turned out okay. It's probably good we didn't deliver him to his dad like we was hired to do." Kraglin said.   
"Yeah, that guy was a jackass." The ship takes off. 

 

There was a party on the Ravagers ship, they were all drinking, laughing and celebrating. Yondu was looking intently at the orb. Aris walks over and sits on the left arm rest. Yondu moved his hand to open it. "Yondu-"   
"Relax darlin," he said, opening the orb. Inside was a little troll doll. "Its not the real one." Yondu says, smiling.   
Aris let out a laugh. Yondu moves his arm to wrap it around her waist, keeping his hand on her thigh. 

 

The flirting went on for months and it wasn't subtle.   
One afternoon Aris was standing on a catwalk one the Eclector, Yondu walked past and gave her a smack on the ass. Aris squeaked and looked at Yondu, who winked. 

Aris had an idea, if Yondu wasn't going to make a move, she would. She saw Yondu talking to Kraglin and a few men. She stomped right up to them, looking determined. "Can I talk to Cap for a second?" They looked at each other. "Alone." She said firmly.   
They looked at Captain. He nodded and they left.   
"What's up, darlin'?"   
Giving a low grunt she pulled him down by the lapels of his coat, she pressed her lips to his. Yondu was surprised for a moment, he kissed her back, grabbing hold of her waist and pulled her closer.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter contains, smut and scenes of depression and is quite sad in nature.

It was awkward after the kiss, Yondu and Aris didn't know how to talk to each other. She sat in her chair, chewing on her nail, she was waiting for Peters call.   
"Hey Aris."   
"Hey, whats up?"   
"Oh you know, saving the galaxy, you know how it is." Aris looked behind him, Rocket and Drax were fighting, she raised her eyebrow. "You haven't had a job in months have you?"   
Peter stumbled over his words, "is that Aris?" Gamora pushed Peter out of the way, Aris smiled at the green woman. "How are you?"   
"I'm okay, you look exhausted, the boys aren't giving you too much trouble are they?" Gamora smiled and crossed her arms, "its not easy, how are you and Yondu? Last time I saw you, you both seemed close."   
Aris gave a defeated sigh. "I don't think its going to happen, Gamora-"  
"You are a warrior are you not?"   
"Yes but-"   
"Then fight for him." Gamora's hair started moving, baby Groot sat on her shoulder.   
"Oh my god!" Aris squealed, "what is that?"   
"Thats Groot."   
"Gro....Groot? Like Rocket's Groot?"   
Gamora nodded.  
"He's so tiny."  
"I am Groot."   
"Aww, I have no idea what you said."   
"I am Groot."   
Kraglin walked in the room, "captain wants to see you." Aris sighed, "I'll talk to you later." She cut off the call and followed Kraglin to Yondu's room.   
He shut the door. Yondu was looking out the window.   
"Yondu? Did I do something wrong?" He turned around.   
"No." He said, walking towards Aris. "You did everything perfectly." He kissed her, she let out a small moan and her body relaxed against his. When he broke the kiss she looked at him with starry eyes. "What was that for?" She asked.   
"I want you." Thats all he said before claiming her mouth as his, licking her lips he asked permission to enter her mouth, she granted it, their tongues swirled sloppily together and he explored every inch of her mouth. Aris' legs started shaking, Yondu put his hands on her ass to keep her standing. He walked backwards and they collapsed onto his bed. He took off her jacket and tossed it somewhere in the room. He flipped them over, he broke the kiss for a moment to unzip her vest, she wore a sheer tank-top and no bra. Yondu smiled and ran his thumbs over her nipples, Aris moaned and pushed her breasts further into his hands, they were soft and fit perfectly in his hands. He moved from her breasts and slipped his hands under her shirt, her skin was warm and it felt like it was humming with electricity. He left her lips and kissed her neck, being mindful of his teeth.   
Moving his hands further down he undid her jeans. Aris blushed and stiffened. "Relax doll." He whispered, he trailed his hands down her leg and removed her boots, he tugged her jeans down, her panties had little lightning bolts on them, Yondu laughed.  
"What? What is it?" Aris said, feeling self conscious, and tried to cover herself, Yondu stopped her, "its just, you're adorable." He said, tugging at the waistband of her panties, not taking them off just yet. He slid off the bed and removed his own jacket and many top layers, leaving only his pants, he slid back on the bed and kissed her, his skin was warm but not as warm as Aris'.   
Aris gripped his biceps, she shifted her hips to align better with Yondu's. He reached under her shirt and took it off, Aris tried covering her breasts, he pinned her arms down. "Beautiful." He rasped, he kissed and nipped at her collarbone, undoing his belt. His hands traveled down her breasts, her ribs, hips and thighs, Aris shivered against him. He moved to kiss the valley of her breasts, down to her belly button and placed little kisses on her hipbones. Hooking his fingers under the waistband of her panties he pulled them down. She was fully exposed to him now. He felt her grow tense, he soothed her, running his hands along the curve of her ass, he tested the waters by running one finger down her folds, smiling when she let out a small gasp. He did it again, and again and again, until she was slick and wet with need, again being ever so mindful of his teeth he started to lick her, slowly, Aris' body jolted and she lifted her head to see what he was doing, she moaned and fell against the pillow, Yondu definitely was experienced. He fell into a pattern of licking and sucking and Aris wasn't sure she could take anymore, her breathing came out in short shallow wheezes and she rocked her hips against his face. "Let go darlin' , cum for me."   
She let go and it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, she let out a strangled cry and her hips jolted, Yondu moved and licked his lips, he slid up the bed again, kissing her, she could taste herself on his lips, unsure how something could taste so sweet and sour at the same time. Without breaking the kiss she undid his pants and slipped her hand inside, finding his hard member. Yondu groaned and bucked into her hand. "You little minx." He said, Aris smiled and moved her hand slowly up and down, she continued this sweet torture, Yondu had enough, he growled and almost ripped his pants getting them off. Aris looked down and the air left her lungs, he was very well endowed, she wasn't sure if he'd fit.  
Yondu aligned himself up with her entrance, rubbing the head along her folds he pushed the tip in. Aris hissed and closed her eyes tightly. He waited until she felt comfortable and pushed in a little further.   
When she grew accustomed to his size he moved slowly.  
Aris gasped and clung to his shoulders. She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to be closer to him, Yondu took the hint and sped up, she could feel the muscles in her stomach tightening and tightening, she let go, having her second orgasm of the night, she called out his name.   
Yondu helped her ride it out before picking up the pace again, Aris tried to form words but nothing would come out, she ran her hands down her back and mewled, and writhed under him. Her hands slipped from his lower back onto she sheets, she gripped them tightly. Yondu felt himself getting close, he rolled his hips and sped up, he kept this pattern going, Aris' legs started to quiver. Groaning he came in her, with one last roll of his hips she came for a third time.   
Yondu stopped moving, he caught his breath and looked in her eyes, she smiled and touched his face gently, peppering kisses along his jaw.   
He pulled out and laid beside her. 

 

He woke up during what he guessed was early morning, getting up he saw black scorch marks on his sheets in the form of her hands, he smiled at himself, dressed and left the room. 

Aris woke up to find her lover gone, she sighed and dressed, going back to her room, she was caught by Brahl coming out of Yondu's bedroom, she squeaked and rushed into her own room, which was right next door. 

Yondu invited Aris into his bedroom almost every other night, word spread quickly around the ship, Aris couldn't go anywhere without someone snickering, someone called her the captains whore, she pushed it aside and let it be, she was sure it would end, they just needed to get it out of their systems. 

 

The teasing didn't stop, almost everyone was calling her the captains whore, she didn't go to Yondu about it, she didn't want him fighting her battles, so she went to confront a particular group of men.  
"Hey-" she stopped when she saw Yondu talking to them, she hid behind the corner and listened. "You've always been soft on her! And now you're what? In love with the woman?" Taserface growled.   
"I ain't in love with her!" Yondu said, "she's just someone to keep my bed warm at night." When the laughter died down he spoke again. "Look, getting involved with her was a mistake, lets forget about it, yeah?"   
Aris couldn't breathe, it felt like something was squeezing her heart, she walked away shedding a few tears.   
She barely left her room, didn't sit with Yondu in her chair, she didn't even have her weekly check in with Peter, she didn't want to speak to anyone. There was a knock on her door, every day. When she did left her room she waited for everyone to be asleep or on a job. Their voices would echo in her mind, calling her a whore, or she would hear what Yondu said, he wasn't in love with her, he didn't even care for her. Normally something like this wouldn't bother Aris, this bothered her more then being called a bastard, it hurt so much more, she was in love with her captain.   
She saw him coming down the hallway one day, panicking she jumped off the catwalk and onto the floor below. 

 

Aris sat in bed, drawing nothing particular when there was another knock on her door. "Aris, its Kraglin, can we talk?" She didn't say anything. "Aris...come on." She sighed and walked over to her mirror, her eyes were puffy and she had dark circles, her golden hair was in a messy ponytail, she didn't even touch up the right side, letting the hair grow back.   
She walked over the door and let Kraglin inside. He looked around the room, art scattered the walls, various planets, stars, human anatomy, and what he assumed was various places in Asgard, even the palace where she grew up. Her bed was a complete mess, and cups and plates littered on and around her beside table. "Holy hell Aris." He said, turning around to face her. "What happened to you?"   
She looked at him with dull eyes. "Ask him." She whispered.   
"Him?" He paused, "you mean Yondu?" She nodded.   
Aris found a half empty bottle of alcohol under a pile of paper, she took a drink and handed it to Kraglin. "What happened?" He gave her the bottle back.   
"He doesn't care about me." She said, "he said so." She took her hair out of her ponytail and ran her fingers through it roughly, Kraglin could see her tearing up. "How could I be so stupid." She stood up and walked to the other side of the room. "I shouldn't have slept with him." She paused, "I shouldn't have even kissed him." Aris turned to Kraglin. "Your the only person I can trust on this ship now."  
Kraglin looked at her sadly.  
"I fucked up, I fucked up." She repeated, her breathing started to escalate, Kraglin stood up and hugged her. She didn't hug him back, she just stood there.   
He stayed with her until she fell asleep.   
She felt slightly better after Kraglin's visit, she showered and groomed for the first time in two weeks. They had to sell something to Broker that day.   
While on Xandar Aris squeezed Kraglin's arm and whispered to him, "I'm going next door I need more art supplies." He nodded and she walked off, ignoring Yondu's gaze on her back. She walked into the store and bought three sketchbooks and lead pieces and coloured chalk. She walked back to the M-ship and sat in the back.   
As soon as they were back on the Eclector she went off to her room.   
Some time in the night she went to sit in her chair for the first time in months. She curled up in the chair and wrapped a blanket around her body, watching the stars. She didn't see Yondu sit next to her. He didn't say anything for the first few minutes, Aris couldn't stop it, she felt herself tearing up.   
"Aris-" he started.   
"Don't." She whispered. "Just don't." She got up from her seat and left. 

She called Peter in the late morning hours. "Yeah?"   
"Can you come get me?"   
"Why? Is everything okay?"  
Aris shook her head and started crying. "No."   
"Okay, okay I'll be there soon." He ended the call. Aris packed items she would need. She let the Milano on the ship. "What are you doing?" Youdu asked, clearly not happy about her letting Peter on his ship. "I'm going to stay with Peter for a while." She tried to keep her voice as level as possible but she sounded empty, she refused to look at him and left, Peter gave her a hug and they left.   
Aris sat down at his table and put her head in her hands.   
Peter sat across from her. "What happened?"   
She told him everything.   
Peter let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "He's a jackass, Aris, he only cares about himself." Aris nodded. "I know, I know. I was so stupid." Her voice cracked. Gamora came and brought her a drink, kicking Peter from the room. Baby Groot came down from Gamora's shoulder and walked over to Aris, she scooped him up in her arms and he sat on her shoulder. "I am Groot." He said, she smiled softly at him. "Don't listen to Peter." She said, "Yondu will see how much you mean to him and he'll make it right."   
Aris chuckled, "you make love sound so simple Gamora."   
She took a sip of the drink Gamora gave her. "I don't think this can be fixed."   
Gamora left the table and Aris was alone, Drax tried talking to her but only made her feel worse, he picked her up off the ground and gave her a crushing hug, she couldn't breathe. "Quill says this is what humans do to convey remorse or empathy."   
When he let her go she held her sides and leaned against the table. "I'm not sure of if you were trying to make me feel better or if you were trying to kill me, but thank you." Drax smiled.   
Rocket tried to keep his distance. 

 

Back on the Eclecter, Yondu entered her room. He stepped on paper, she didn't take her art with her. He saw the mess, even the air felt sad. He sighed and sat down on her bed and put his head in his hands. Kraglin sat beside him. "She was a good woman Captain." He said.   
Yondu looked up, "I know, I want to know what I did to hurt her, but she wouldn't talk to me, now she's gone."   
"She heard you, when you were talking to Taserface."   
"How much did she hear?"   
"As much as she could."   
Yondu rubbed his face. "I didn't mean it, a single word, but I had to tell them something."   
"She doesn't know that." Kraglin nodded and left the room.   
Something caught Yondu's eye, he picked up the drawing, it was him, asleep, he wasn't sure when it was drawn, every detail was perfect, it could have been mistaken for a photograph, regret boiled in him, he crumpled the picture in his hands and screamed. 

 

On the Milano, Groot spent most of his time with Aris, trying to make her feel better, he'd grow flowers for her, she'd braid them into her hair.   
She'd stay behind on the ship when they'd fight or go to collect something for someone, she wasn't lonely, she had Groot for company, Rocket taught her how to understand him.   
"I am Groot, I am Groot, I, am, Groot." Aris smiled, "I do miss him, yes, but I cant go back, not right now."

 

Meanwhile on the Eclector.   
"I'm glad that woman is gone." Someone said, putting his cup down.   
"Yeah," another said, "she was no good anyway, did you see how she would strut about?"   
"But she was hot, I would have claimed her if Captain didn't get to her first."   
Yondu came down the hallway and stopped when he heard them talk about Aris.   
"She's probably fucking Quill now."   
"Nothing but a cheap little whore." He took a drink, but it was his last, Yondu's arrow struck him in the throat.  
Yondu had enough, he was going nuts without Aris around to calm him down. He looked for weeks for the Milano, finding it near Xandar.   
Inside the Milano, the Eclector was noticed. "Hey Quill." Rocket said, Peter came over to the front of the ship and saw Yondu standing there giving an order, they were being pulled in.   
When Peter left the Milano he looked at Yondu confused. "What this hell, man?"   
"Where is she?"  
"Who?"   
Yondu smacked Peter in the chest, pushing him back. "You know very well who?"   
Peter pushed him back, "she doesn't want to see you."   
"Why not?"   
"You broke her heart you jackass!"   
Yondu paused.   
"Yeah, thats right, she told me everything." With a yell Yondu pushed past Peter and went aboard the ship, Aris was sitting at the table and was listening to Peter's walkman. Yondu sat down across from her, she looked at him once and looked away.   
"Baby" he reached to grab her hands but she moved them under the table. "Would you take those stupid things off?" He took off the headphones. Aris stood up, she put the walkman on the table and left the ship. She found her quarters and went inside, on the bed she found the crumpled portrait of Yondu, chuckling softly she re-crumbled it and sat on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. 

Yondu sat at the table, looking at the chair across from him. Peter sighed and sat down. "I want you to be completely honest with me, why did you do it? Why didn't you own up to your feelings?"   
Yondu sighed, "the crew already think I'm soft, I couldn't let them think I'm in love with some woman."   
"But you do love her?"  
"Boy-"  
"Yondu, you do love her?"   
He sighed in defeat, "yes, I love her, I've been in love with her since I first saw her, such a feisty little woman she was."   
Peter smiled.   
"But I don't know how to get her back, I could buy her art stuff, she'd like that."   
Peter shook his head. "Yondu, Aris isn't into material objects, it has to come from in here." He pointed to Yondu's heart.   
"How? I ain't the softest person in the world."   
Peter got an idea. "Movies."  
"Come again?"   
He smiled and looked at Yondu. "There once was a boy named Danny Zuko, he met a girl named Sandy at a beach and they fell in love, but at the end of the summer Sandy has to go back to Australia, but theres a change of plans. She sees Danny again at Rydell high school, but Danny is forced to maintain his bad-boy attitude, and it upsets Sandy and she leaves. Danny tries to make it up to her and eventually they make up and fly away into the sky during a catchy musical number."   
"Thats all nice and fine, but what do I do?"   
"Be honest with her, tell her how you feel." 

Yondu didn't knock he just walked in, Aris was curled up in bed. He went over and sat down by her feet, she moved her blanket away from her eyes, he looked sad and she felt the urge to touch him but didn't. "Aris," he started, "Aris baby, I'm sorry, I am so sorry."   
Aris stood up, refusing to meet his gaze. "Why did you do it? Why did you say it?"   
"I need my crew to respect me and-"  
"They mean more to you than me."   
He turned to Aris. "No, baby no, I couldn't give too shits about most of them, I'm captain, I'm nothing if my crew doesn't respect me." She let him grab her hand. "I didn't mean it, not a single word, the truth is, I do love you." Aris' eyes lit up. "You...you love me?"   
Yondu nodded, "more than anything."   
"I love you too."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is kind of fluffy.

Aris walked around the ship in total confidence, she was given the position of Co-Captain, Kraglin was still first mate, he didn't mind that she was above him, they were friends after all and he was the only one on the ship she could trust other then Yondu.   
Aris was a hardass, she didn't tolerate back talk, or anyone challenging her position, sometimes in the heat of an argument she'd kill the man.   
There was one instance with a man named Arkon, he refused to do the job Aris had assigned him, he made many sexist remarks towards her and she lost her temper, she used a gun instead of her arrow, to make a bigger point, Yondu didn't stand in the way of her authority, he found this side of her rather sexy.   
He'd even given her a costume upgrade, gone was Peter's old jacket and it was replaced with a jumpsuit that was similar to what Gamora wore on the battle of Xandar, Aris added her own touches onto it, black wedged boots and thigh holster for her arrow, she cut the sleeves off and sewn the ravager patch above her left breast, it was tighter in at the butt, upon Yondu's request, Aris also decided upon a black leather jacket to wear overtop, in case it got cold. 

 

They had sent five men, onto Conjunction to by and sell items, Aris stood in the cockpit looking down at the planet. Yondu came up behind her, he ran his hands down her arms and sighed. "Baby," he said, Aris hummed, "constantly watching the place isn't gonna make 'em come back any faster."   
"I know," she smiled, "thats not what I'm doing." He put his arms around her waist and put his head on her shoulder. "Then what are you doin'?"   
"I'm studying the planet."  
"Why?"   
"Because I draw everywhere we go, its kind of like a visual diary." 

 

The men came back. "What did you score?" Aris asked, they dumped out a bag of units, and various gold items as well as new blasters. One of the men tossed a roll of red leather at Aris, she looked at him confused. "Whats this?"   
"Well, your a woman, we figured you could make us some new jackets." Him and his buddies laughed, Aris turned to walk away but turned back around. "Okay, you know what?" She started to beat the man with the leather before pulling out her old whip, he tried to crawl away but the wrapped the whip around his neck and started choking him, the crew members who did like her, cheered her on. She pulled on the whip and let him go, he gasped for air, picking the blaster up from the table she pointed it at the man. He turned to Yondu, "captain, your just gonna let her kill me?"   
Yondu shrugged, "you disrespected you co-captain."   
"Co-captain has to teach manners." Kraglin continued off of what Yondu said, the crew started whooping, and Aris pulled the trigger, shooting him in the head. "I like this gun, I'm keeping it." She tossed her old blaster to someone else. "Find someone to clean this up." She said walking away, she heard a "yes ma'am." 

 

Yondu and Aris decided to share rooms instead of sleeping in one or the others. Aris was currently changing into the light blue sleep-shirt Yondu adored, he showed up behind her in the mirror and kissed her shoulder. "You're really putting the men in their places." He whispered, Aris turned to face him, stepping onto her tippy-toes she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I learned from the best." She said, smiling.   
"You wanna fool around?"   
Aris sighed and gave him a pat on the chest. "Not tonight, I'm having my woman thing." She walked over to her vanity and brushed her hair.   
"No wonder you're so angry." He mumbled, Aris turned in her seat and pointed the brush at him. "Excuse me, I will have none of that, thank you." She went back to what she was doing, Yondu chuckled.   
"Feisty." He said, "just how I like you."   
"Oh!" She said remembering something, she stood up, "Gamora is taking me out tomorrow." Yondu rolled his eyes.   
"What? She's the only friend I have, who is a girl, I can't hang around men all the live long day." Yondu pulled her onto his lap. "And where are you two ladies going?"   
"Contraxia, a new tavern just opened up and its specifically catered to ladies, no boys."   
"No boys huh?" Yondu growled playfully and threw her down onto the bed, making her laugh, Yondu started kissing up and down her neck. 

 

Aris woke up with Yondu sleeping almost completely on top of her, she struggled to reach her watch on her beside table, She was supposed to meet Gamora in a few hours and she was being crushed by a big blue man. She tapped his side, he grunted in response. She did it again, he grunted. "Yondu."   
Nothing.   
"Yondu!"   
He woke up, "what?"   
"Get off me you big lug, I gotta get ready to go."   
Yondu groaned, "shush, little furnace, I ain't letting you go yet."   
"Yondu-"   
"Shhhh"  
Aris sighed, "you leave me no choice." She shocked his side, Yondu yelped and rolled off her. She took the opportunity to get out of bed and run to their shared bathroom, she locked the door and turned on the shower.   
"You little Minx!" Yondu shouted, when he found the door locked, Aris laughed and got into the shower. 

She got out and dressed, she dried her hair and put it in a loose French braid.   
She joined Yondu in the cockpit, she sat across his lap.   
"You smell good." He said before attacking her with kisses. 

Aris sat and watched them move past the stars. "You know, I never asked you, whats your full name?"   
Aris thought for a moment, "my father mentioned that my last name is Ruud so, Aris Ruud."   
"Ruud?"  
"Its Norwegian." She said with a shrug.   
"I remember you mentioning some place called Norway."   
Aris smiled, "I know a few words, like ja means yes, nei means no, vær så snill, takk and vær så god, mean, please, thank you and you're welcome, etcetera." She smiled. Yondu looked At her in amazement, "you are incredible."   
He went to kiss her but they were approaching Contraxia. "Oh! We're here." She got off of his lap but he grabbed her arm. She kissed him quickly then went to her M-ship which she named, Uvær.  
She met Gamora at the tavern and walked inside, the interior was futuristic and was coloured completely in neons, the music sounded like a fruity pop song. She saw the green woman sitting at the table. She sat across from her, "sorry I'm late, I woke up being crushed to death by a man in blue."   
Gamora smiled at her, "I ordered us a few glasses of Terica, just to start. Aris hummed in approval. Terica was a flavoured liquor that changed flavour as you drank it. 

They sat and enjoyed the bright purple beverage. "It feels so good to get away from all those men." Aris said, a little tipsy. "Do you know how often they bathe? Hardly." Gamora smiled, "now I know where Peter gets that from." They laughed. "I don't know why men feel like they don't have to take care of themselves, I had to start showering with Yondu to get him to do it regularly. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, by my god."   
Gamora burst into full on laughter. 

They ordered some food that Aris didn't know how to pronounce. When they left the tavern it was dark outside.   
"I don't think I can drive." Aris said, stumbling a little in the snow.   
"Get Peter to drive you?"   
"Good idea." 

They walked over to the Milano, Peter came outside. "Hello ladies," he greeted. "Peter, Aris can't drive, can you take her home?"   
"Sure."   
"You need to deliver Uvær afterwards though." Aris said, walking aboard the Milano. Peter sighed, "your ship is red right?"  
"Red n blue!" 

 

Peter dropped Aris off, went back and dropped her ship off, Rocket kept the Milano close to him, he put his mask on and rocketed over to his own ship. 

 

Aris walked to their bedroom, she unzipped her boots and kicked them off, she tossed her leather jacket on the ground and crawled into bed.   
Yondu joined her after, taking her in his arms, she shifted in sleep so her head was resting on his shoulder. 

 

She woke up and she gave men orders to go down to Sakaar, They had made a few calls to Broker, "what your looking for is something gold and shaped like an egg. I expect you all back here in five hours, after those five hours we will leave you to the mercy of the Sakaaran people. Is that understood?"   
"Yes ma'am."   
"Good, now go."  
Yondu grabbed her waist. "I love it when you take charge."   
"So you've said before"   
Yondu hummed and moved them side to side. "Did you have fun last night?"  
"Yes, I did."   
"What you girls talk about."  
"Nothing important, just girl stuff."   
"Ah."  
"Ah." She repeated.

The men returned in less then three hours, the gold egg was covered intricate patterns. "We need to go, now." One of them said urgently.  
"Why?" Aris asked.   
"T'ack picked a fight with a few Sakaaran police men."   
"Eki you jackass!"   
Aris looked out the window, four ships were coming straight for them, sighing she shot both T'ack and Eki in the shins before giving the pilot orders to jump to Xandar.   
Both the men were rolling on the ground holding their legs and crying in pain. Aris stepped over them, "oh quit whining." She walked out of the room.


	10. Chapter Ten

Yondu, Aris and Kraglin just finished a deal with a Broker, Yondu had his arm wrapped around Aris' shoulders and she held his hand like that. They were walking back to Yondu's M-ship, they stopped, standing outside was a tall blond man with a red cape. Aris' smile faded.   
"Baby, what is it?" Yondu asked. He looked at the man and back to Aris.   
"Dad?" She asked.  
Thor turned around and smiled. "Aris!"   
The trio made their way to Thor. "Hey dad, uh this is Yondu and Kraglin."   
Thor eyed Yondu's hand, it was sitting rather close to Aris' breast, he looked up at Yondu and raised an eyebrow. Yondu dropped his hand, but he gave her ass a quick squeeze.   
Thor looked at Aris curiously. "Whats that on your head?"   
She touched the prosthetic. "Nevermind, why are you here?"   
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot." He said smiling, "we have a job on Earth."   
Aris groaned, "what now?"   
"Hydra."  
"Hydra? What about Hydra?"   
"We're getting together to bring down their cells and find your uncles sceptre."  
"And you, want my help? Am I getting this right?"   
Thor moved his head side to side, "yes." He said smiling.  
"If I refuse to go you'll just drag me along won't you?"   
He thought about it for a moment. "Yes."   
Aris sighed. She turned to Yondu, reaching up she straightened his jacket. "I'll see you soon." He gave her a half smile and ran his fingers down her cheek. "You better."   
Before he could kiss her Thor took Aris' arm and lead her away, they we're engulfed by the Bifrost.   
"Hey Heimdall, she waved nervously. He gave her a nod.   
"Who was that blue man?" Thor asked.   
"Oh! Him? Uhh..." Aris bit her lip, "a friend?"   
"Friend? I don't remember friends being that friendly."   
"He's a friend!" She squeaked.   
Thor chuckled.   
They stood in front of Heimdall who opened the portal, they were taken to Midgard, right in Sokovia, they were greeted by Natasha, Barton and Steve. "Hey, long time no see?"  
Barton tapped the prosthetic. "What is that?" Aris swatted his hand away. "Stop that." She straightened her jacket. "You'll see later, if I need to use it."

Aris got in the jeep with Natasha and Barton. They didn't get very far without getting shot at. Natasha drove, Barton used his arrow and Aris was given a gun, not ready to show off her arrow. Tony flies past them.   
A tank like vehicle gets right up to them and prepares to shoot, Thor lands on the back and throws the shooter from the vehicle. He swings his hammer and lands on a watchtower.   
They catch up to Thor, Tony and Banner. 

Aris undid her seatbelt and jumped out of the jeep with Natasha and Barton, they were joined by the rest of the team.   
Aris got her own little company of Hydra soldiers. She flipped her jacket out of the way and whistled a tune, they lowered their guns confused, with a sharp whistle the arrow ran through them. She caught the arrow.   
"Seriously?" She looked over at Barton. "If you have one of those why don't you wipe them all out?"   
"Less fun for you guys if I do it that way!"   
Aris heard Tony's voice in her ear. "Shit!"   
"Language." Steve said. "Jarvis, whats the view from upstairs?"   
"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken."   
With a tune, Aris' arrow ran through any one who tried to take her down.   
She heard her father. "Loki's sceptre must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last."   
"At long last is lasting a little long boys." Natasha said. "And Aris, please stop whistling."   
"She cant." Barton said, "its how she controls whatever weapon she has."   
"Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said 'language'?" Tony said.   
"I know, it just slipped out." 

Aris' area was clear. She put her arrow in its holster and ran to assist someone else. She ducked out of the line of fire and hid behind the tree. She looked quickly, letting her arrow loose she took out the bunker. 

Aris sees something in the background, she moves away from the tree. She puckers her lips but is knocked over by a unseen force, she rolls over with a groan.   
"Clint's hit!" She heard in her ear.   
Aris ran over to Thor and Steve. "Hey, did you guys get knocked over my some invisible man or something?"   
"The enhanced?" Thor asked.   
"He's a blur." Answered Steve. "All the new player's we've faced, I've never seen this. In fact, I still haven't."   
"Clints hit pretty bad guys, we're gonna need Evac." Natasha said over their earpieces.   
"I can get Barton to the jet. The sooner we're gone the better. You and Stark secure the sceptre. Aris, take out as many as you can." He nodded towards her arrow. "Looks like their lining up though." She backed up from them.   
"Well they're excited." Thor pounds on Steve's shield with his hammer and the force knocks down all the soldiers.   
"Find the sceptre." Thor flies off.   
"And for gosh sake, watch your language." Aris giggled at Tonys comment, Steve hung his head, "that's not going away any time soon."   
She pats him on the chest and walks off.   
She reached Natasha, the soldiers put they're hands up in surrender. "We're locked down out here."   
"Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby."   
"Can I come?" Aris asked, Natasha motioned her forward.   
They find Banner. He's tearing apart a car, he throws away the bumpers. "Hey, big guy. The sun's getting real low."   
Banner scowls at her, Natasha kneels in front of him and puts out her hand, the Hulk touches her hand and as she strokes his hand slowly he starts to calm down. He stumbles away and changes back to his old self.   
They help Banner back to the jet. They set him down and Aris gets him a sweatshirt.   
She sits down in a chair and polishes her arrow. "What is that?" Natasha asked. Aris smiled and held up the silver weapon. "This is a yaka arrow, its a weapon used by the Centauri people."   
"How do you use it?"   
Aris whistled a tune and the arrow flew around leaving a blue trail around the jet. She caught it and put it back in her holster.   
"So whats the prosthetic piece on your forehead for?"   
"It helps control it."   
"Can you take it off?"   
Aris shook her head, "my Captain said it would be very dangerous, I could either pass out or die."   
"Your blue friend?" Thor asked. Aris nodded. "Blue friend?"   
"My Captain, is a Centaurian...they're...blue."   
"But he's not really her friend, they seemed a little to friendly, I do not approve." He said, sternly, pointing at Aris.   
She looked at her dad annoyed. 

Natasha hands Banner a pair of headphones and opera music starts playing. 

They waited a good 20 minutes before Steve and Tony showed up.   
They took off and left Sokovia.   
Aris curled up in a chair and took a nap. She's woken up when they land in New York. She gets off the jet, Barton is taken away on a stretcher by Doctor Cho.   
Aris picked up something, it looked like a piece of glass. "What is this?" She asked Tony, "give it." She hands it over.   
"Alright, Jarvis, look live its playtime. We've only got a couple days with this joystick so let's make the most of it. Update me on the structural and compositional analysis."   
"The sceptre is alien. There are elements I can't quantify."   
"So there's elements you can."   
"The jewel appears to be a protective housing for something inside. Something powerful."   
"Like a reactor?" He goes over to the blender, Aris watches him curiously as he distributes the green drink into cups. He hands one to Aris, she opens the lid to smell it, she puts the lid back on and takes a sip. She hums in approval and gives Tony a smile and walks away with the drink.   
"Like a computer. I believe I'm ciphering code." 

 

Aris spent three days getting to know Natasha, they grew pretty close. At this time Aris was getting ready for he party, she wore a blue lace v-neck sleeveless dress with black strappy heels. Her makeup was simple. Natasha knocked on her door. "Ready to go?"   
Aris finished twisting her hair up with her arrow. "Yes."   
They left for the party. 

 

Aris was talking to a group of people, actually she wasn't really talking, she just stood there, nodding her head. She saw Natasha at the bar and excused herself.   
She took the empty stool next to her. "Hey."  
"Hi."   
"I'm getting a Cosmo, do you want one?"   
"I have no idea what that is, but sure."   
The barkeep pulled up a second glass. 

With drink in hand she left the bar and saw Steve playing pool. She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.  
"Hey."   
"Who's your friend?" She asked nodding. The man reached across Steve to shake her hand. "Sam."   
"Aris."   
"Aris, thats an interesting name." He let go of her hand.   
"Thank you." She said, feeling kind of awkward, she took a sip of her drink.   
"Do you want to play?" Steve asked, gesturing to the pool table.   
Aris shook her head, "no I couldn't possibly-"   
"Come on."  
Aris smiled coyly, up to the challenge. She hands Sam her drink and he gives her his pool cue. She takes it and walks around the board. "So, what do I do?" She said, walking back to Steve. "Well, you're going to want to bend over-"   
"What? Like this?" She bent over the pool table.   
"Yes, like that, now, hold the pool stick with your dominant hand, and slide the cue through your index and middle finger." Aris followed his instructions. "Which ball do I go for?" Steve smiled, "here, look, see the white ball?"   
"Yeah."   
"Theres a green ball behind it, go for the white one."   
Aris nodded and moved the cue forward, she missed. "Oops."   
Steve sighed, "here, you're not holding it right." He moved behind her and bent down, he helped her align the tip of the cue and shoot. She got it in the pocket. She stood up, Steve got a full whiff of her perfume, he sighed almost longingly. Taking her drink from Sam she turned on the balls of her feet and smiled at Steve. 

Aris was talking to Thor and she felt Steves eyes on her but paid it no mind. Thor pulled out a small flask of alcohol and poured some into Aris' second cosmopolitan.   
A elderly man eyes the flask. "I gotta have some of that!"   
Thor smiles and puts a bit into a glass for Steve and himself. "Oh, no, no, no. See this, this was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men."  
"Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on." Aris turns to the party guest beside her and she shrugs at Thor, he gives in and passes the man a glass.   
It didn't take long for the man to become extremely intoxicated, he had to be dragged off by two other men. "Excelsior" he slurred,   
Aris laughed and finished her drink. 

 

When the party was over the group stayed behind. Steve passed Aris a beer and sat down next to her, Aris leaned back on the couch and took a drink.   
They were talking about Mjölnir.   
"But, it's a trick!" Barton said, twirling a drumstick between his fingers.   
"Oh, no. It's much more than that."   
Barton held out his hands towards Mjölnir. "Uh, 'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!' Whatever man! It's a trick."   
Thor laughed, clearly amused. "Well please, be my guest."   
"Come on."   
"Really?"   
"Yeah." Barton gets up from the couch.   
"Oh, this is going to be beautiful."  
"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." They laughed at Tony's comment.   
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Barton grabs Mjölnir and can't lift it. He turns to Thor. "I still don't know how you do it."   
"Smell the silent judgment?"   
"Please, Stark, by all means." Tony gets up. Aris moves forward on the couch to get a better view.   
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge."   
"Get after it." Barton moves so Tony can get to Mjölnir better.   
"Here we go."   
"It's physics."   
"Physics!" Barton sits back down.   
"Right, so, if I lift it, I...I then rule Asgard?"   
"Yes, of course."   
"I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta." It doesn't budge. "I'll be right back."   
He left.   
"Aris, in his absence would you like to give it a shot?" Barton asked, Aris shrugged and gave Steve her bottle. Hill, Natasha and James start whooping. Getting a firm hand on the handle she lifts it off the table a good ten inches before dropping it. Tony comes back with an armoured hand. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Aris smiles and moves back to her seat.   
Stark tries to lift the hammer again and fails. James went to get his armour.   
Both fail to lift it.   
"Are you even pulling?"   
"Are you on my team?"   
"Just represent! Pull!"   
"Alright lets go."   
After a few minutes they give, Banner walks up to it. When he doesn't lift it he roars, trying to change into the Hulk. Everyone eyes him warily, Aris raises her eyebrows. Steve gets up to try. He manages to budge it a little, Thor looks a little alarmed. Steve still fails to lift it andThor laughs with relief. The group tries to get Natasha up. "Oh, no no. That's not a question I need answered."   
"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged."   
"You bet your ass."   
Hill pointed to Barton. "Steve, he said a bad language word."   
Steve turned to Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"   
"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation?"   
"Yes, well that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory." He stood up. "I have a simpler one." He lifts Mjölnir and flips it. "You're all not worthy." Everyone groans in disagreement.   
A loud screech resonates in the room and everyone covers their ears.  
Theres a gargling sound, "worthy..."   
everyone turns their heads towards the sound. Standing there is a very broken suit, leaking oil. "No, How could you be worthy? You're all killers."   
"Stark-"   
"Jarvis-"  
The thing looks around. "I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a-dream?"   
Tony started tapping into his device, the thing got closer and Aris put the bottle down.   
"Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit."   
"There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." He stumbles about.   
"You killed someone?" Steve asked.  
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."   
"Who sent you?"   
It plays a recording of Tony's voice. "I see a suit of armor around the world."   
"Ultron."   
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission." Aris reaches behind her head and pulls her arrow from her hair.   
"What mission?" Natasha asks.   
"Peace in our time."   
Suddenly the Iron Legion bots break smash through the walls and attack the team, Aris whistled and ran her arrow through a bot a good six times in the head. She goes for another one but it flies into her, slamming her into a wall and knocking her out.   
When Aris was coming to she felt arms wrap under her legs and on her shoulders, lifting her off the ground. She heard a voice. "You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve?" Theres a sound of something being crushed. "With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction." Aris hears a bang and the familiar sound of Mjölnir.   
Theres a heavy pause.   
"I had strings, but now I'm free."   
Aris opened her eyes, she was laying on the couch, she sat up and eyed the destroyed room. It was daylight, she left to change into a dark blue tracksuit. Aris found the group in Banners office.   
"This isn't strategy, this is...rage."


	11. Chapter Eleven

Aris circled what remained of Jarvis. "What is that?" She asked, squatting down to touch it. "Jarvis." Tony said, she looked up at him. "Your little program buddy?"   
He nodded, she stood up and Thor stomped into the room and grabbed Tony by the throat and lifts him.   
"Dad." Aris complains.   
"Come on, use your words buddy."   
"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark."   
"Thor! The Legionnaire." Steve tells him, Thor lets go of Tony.   
"Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the sceptre. Now we have to retrieve it, again."   
"The genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron."   
Aris went to stand with Natasha,   
Doctor Cho went over to the table of Iron Legion parts. "I don't understand. You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"   
Tony starts laughing, Aris turns to him, annoyed.   
"You think this is funny?" Thor asks.   
"No. It's probably not, right? Is this very terrible? Is it so...is it so...it is. It's so terrible."   
"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."   
"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."   
"Tony, maybe this might not be the time to-" Banner starts quietly.   
"Really?! That's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls."   
"Only when I've created a murder bot."   
"We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?"   
"Well, you did something right. And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than Shield."   
"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?"   
James commented, "No, it's never come up."  
"Saved New York?"  
"Never heard that."   
"Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but, that up there? That's...that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?"   
"Together." Steve said.   
"We'll lose."   
"Then we'll do that together too." Tony looks at him for a moment then turns away. "Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller." 

 

Aris dressed in her normal outfit and joined her friends to look if anything in the database was salvageable. Steve walks into the room and hands Thor the tablet.  
"What's this?"   
Thor smacks the tablet on Tony's chest and he looks at it.   
"A message," Steve said, "Ultron killed Strucker." Aris moves closer to Tony to see the picture. Strucker was laying in a bed and peace was written in blood on the wall.   
"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us."   
"This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"   
"Yeah, I bet he," Natasha looks at the computer and it beeps. "Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased."   
"Not everything." 

Aris and Steve bring up boxes and boxes of files and they go through them. Thor rips a lid off a box and it his Aris in the leg. "Hey!" Thor turns around, "sorry." He goes back to his box.   
"Known associates. Well, Strucker had a lot of friends."   
"Well, these people are all horrible." Tony takes interest in the file Banner was holding. "Wait. I know that guy." Banner hands him the file. "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast, black market arms." Aris raises a eyebrow. "There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything. He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very 'Ahab.'"   
Thor points at the scar on a mans neck. "This."  
"Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it-"   
"No, those are tattoos, this is a brand."  
Banner moves to look up the man on the computer.   
"Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way."   
"What dialect?"   
Banner looks at the screen, "Wakanada...? Wa...Wa...Wakanda."   
Tony and Steve turn towards each other. "If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods-"   
"I thought your father said he got the last of it?"   
Banner gets up from the computer. "I don't follow. What comes out of Wakanda?"   
Tony turns to Steves shield. "The strongest metal on earth."   
"Where's this guy now?" 

 

They found out he was somewhere on an African coast in a salvage yard. They suited up and got on the jet. 

 

Aris stayed hidden with Barton and Natasha. Men with guns ran for them, shouting in a language Aris couldn't understand. A cluster of them started shooting at Aris, she hid behind a wall, when they stopped she came out, they raised their guns and Aris smiled, it was a bit unnerving to them. She started whistling what seemed like a happy little tune, her arrow floated beside her and she gave a sharp little whistle and ran through the men like they were soft butter. Letting the arrow say beside her she whistled down the hallway. One of Ultron's bots saw her and attacked, knocking her down. She whistled franticly, afraid of the robot. The arrow ran through the side of its head, disabling it. She stood up and kept walking. 

She stopped, something felt weird, but she kept walking. She found herself back on Xandar, it was a wasteland, there was nothing, no source of life, it was empty. She kept walking and stepped on something, bending down she picked it up, it was Peter's tape, she kept walking and found remnants of her friends, even Yondu's prosthetic piece. She started to panic, it felt like the planet was closing in on her.   
"You gotta calm down darlin'." A voice said, she let herself calm down long enough to see him. "Am I dreaming? This is a nightmare right?" Yondu walked up to her, "shes inside your head doll."   
"Who? Who is?"   
"That girl, the enhanced. She's making you see what you fear most."   
"I'm afraid of a lot of things you know that." She whispered. Yondu shook his head, "he doesn't know that."   
"He...meaning Yondu?"   
This Yondu got right up to her ear. "You gotta snap out of this, snap back to reality, only then can you go home."   
Aris closed her eyes tightly, when she opened them she was back at the port. 

Barton ran for her, "hey!" She stopped and turned to him. "Did she get you to?"   
"The enhanced?"   
He nodded.  
"Yeah, yeah she did, but I'm okay. Where is everyone?"   
They started walking and found Natasha still stuck in her vision. Tony radioed in on their earpieces. "Natasha, could really use a lullaby."   
"Well, that's not gonna happen. Not for a while. The whole team is down, you got no back up here." Barton helped Natasha up and they supported her weight and kept walking. "I'm calling in Veronica." 

 

They got back to the Quinjet, Aris made sure Thor, Steve and Natasha were comfortable before going outside.   
"What did you see?" Barton asks, Aris crossed her arms, "Ronan destroyed Xandar, laid waste to the people and my friends, even the man I cared about the most." She chuckled quietly. Barton put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know what a Ronan is but it sounds like it was hell." Aris turned to him. "How did you snap yourself out of it?"   
"Yondu, or a version of him anyway, helped me get her out of my head."   
After a minute Barton spoke, "should we go help Tony?"   
Aris shook her head and smiled, "no, I think he has it under control." 

 

Tony came back with a less green Banner. Aris helped him inside and grabbed him a blanket. "You'll be okay." She gave him a pat on the shoulder and went to sit down next to Steve. "How are you feeling?"   
He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm okay, I'll be fine." He smiled at her. 

They called Hill. "The news is loving you guys. Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air."   
"Stark Relief Foundation?"   
"Already on the scene. How's the team?"   
"Everyone's...we took a hit. We'll shake it off."   
"Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode, and stay away from here."   
"So, run and hide?"   
"Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer."  
"Neither do we." Tony ended the call and went over to Barton, who's flying the Quinjet. "Hey, you wanna switch out?"   
"No, I'm good. If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time, cause we're still a few hours out."   
"A few hours from where?"   
"A safe house." 

 

They land at the house in the early morning hours, it was a cute white farm house.   
"What is this place?" Thor asked.   
"A safe house?"  
"Lets hope." Barton opened the door and lead them inside. "Honey? I'm home." A very pregnant woman came out from around the corner.   
"Hi. Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead." He kisses her. Tony turns to Aris and Thor, "this is an agent of some kind."   
"Gentleman," he looked directly at Aris. "And Aris, this is Laura."   
"I know all of your names." Theres an awkward chuckle, Aris hears little footsteps and turns her head towards the sound.   
"Ooh, incoming." Two children ran in, a boy and a girl. He picked up the little girl, "hi sweetheart!" He kissed his son on the head, "hey buddy! How you guys doing?"   
Tony turns to the group. "These are...smaller agents." Aris is smiling and feels a little giddy. "Oh you have children! I never would have guessed!" She cooed.   
"Aren't you supposed to be a big bad space pirate?" Tony asks her, Aris drops her smile. "Hey, I may be a pirate but I can like kids."   
"Did you bring auntie Nat?" Natasha came too and went up to the little girl. "Why don't you hug her and find out?" The little girl runs for Natasha who picks her up in her arms. Natasha went up to Laura.   
The boy poked Aris in the arm. "Whats that thing on your head?" He asked, Aris squatted down, the girl, also curious walked over. "This, is a prosthetic device that helps me control this." She pulled out her arrow to show the children. "Ah!" Barton exclaimed catching her, Aris rolled her eyes. "I'm just showing them my arrow, let kids be curious."   
"But its...dangerous and...pointy."   
Aris raised her eyebrows at him.   
"Can I touch it?" The boy asked, Aris nodded, he gave the prosthetic a few pokes with his finger. "Cool, I'm Cooper, thats my little sister Lila."   
"I'm Aris, do you want to see how it works?" The kids got excited, Aris almost didn't see her dad and Steve leave.   
"Ready?"  
They nodded, Aris whistled a little tune and the arrow danced around the room. Lila was thoroughly amused, she clapped her hands. Aris got the arrow to spell out, and quite messily, 'hello Cooper and Lila.'   
Cooper was awestruck, Aris caught her arrow and returned it to its holster. "You are the coolest person I've met."   
"Hey!" Barton said, pretending to take offence.   
"Can I touch your head?" Lila asked, Aris bent back down and leaned her right side forward a bit, Lila rubbed the baldness with her hand, "its so smooth."   
"Let me feel!"   
Bartons kids poked and prodded at Aris.   
"Okay, that's enough you two." Laura said, "I'm sure Aris would like to get settled."   
They bounced off. Laura walked up to her, "here, can I take your jacket?" Aris eyed her pregnant belly. "Oh no, its okay, Let me do it, please, its quite heavy."   
Laura nodded and Aris shrugged off her jacket, "you can hang it up in the front closet."   
Aris nodded, she hung it up and walked back to Laura. "Is it a boy or a girl?" Laura touched her belly. "Its a boy." Aris held her hand out cautiously, "may I?" Laura nodded and Aris put a hand on her belly, she felt the baby kick, she smiled and looked up at Laura. "That's incredible!" The happy feeling left Aris and she grew sad. "What is it?"   
Aris walked away and rubbed her lower abdomen. "I'm sorry, I just, this." She gestured around the room. "Just reminds me of the life I can't have."   
"Why cant you have a life like this?" Laura asked, folding up a piece of clothing one of her kids left laying around.   
"With my line of work, settling down isn't an option."   
"You work for Shield?"   
Aris shook her head, "no, I'm not from around here, this planet."   
"Oh so your like Thor?" Aris moved her head to the side. "In many ways, he's my dad." She said a little awkwardly.   
"Really? He looks so young."   
Aris chuckled, "my mother was from earth." There's a pause.   
"Do you have someone?" Laura asked, Aris nodded, "yeah but my father wouldn't approve."   
They talked for a good half hour before Barton came and dragged Laura away. Aris went upstairs to the room she had to share with Steve. Laura came by with a pile of clothes. "I thought that leather jumpsuit of yours might be a little uncomfortable." She held out the pile, "oh no, I couldn't-"   
"Please."   
Aris took the clothes and nodded her thanks.   
She dressed and went outside to see Steve and Tony, they were busy chopping wood. Tony saw Aris and nodded in her direction. "Look at you two, being men." She teased. Steve smiled shyly. Aris was dressed more casually then he'd ever seen her, jeans, long sleeve grey shirt and plaid over shirt.   
"Do you know where my dad went?"   
"He just left, said he needed answers, and that he wouldn't find them here."   
"He didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked, Aris took the opportunity and sat on the grass.   
"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception."   
"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."   
"'Earth's Mightiest Heroes.' Pulled us apart like cotton candy."   
"Seems like you walked away all right."   
"Is that a problem?"   
"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned."   
"Well, lets just say you haven't seen it yet."   
Aris stood up and laughed, shaking her head, Steve turned to face her. "What?"   
"You? A dark side? Steve, you don't have a dark bone in your body." She said, walking up to him. "What, you do?"   
Aris crossed her arms. "Have you ever killed anyone Steve? Not because you had to, but because you could?" Steve stayed silent. "I've killed dozens of people, just because I could, you don't know what a dark side is." She sounded almost remorseful, she turned around.   
"Then why are you here? If you seemed so convinced that your a bad person." She turned around. "I never said I was a bad person, having a dark side doesn't make you bad." She paused, "I'm here because this is the planet where my mother grew up, I'm here protecting the Earth for her, she may be dead but its where her family is, my family, that I cant seem to locate." She stomped back towards the house, with a scream of frustration, lightning struck some of the wood beside Steve. 

 

Aris skipped dinner and went straight to bed. 

She woke up in the evening from another nightmare, putting on a pair of slippers she went downstairs, she took the portable radio outside and sat on the porch. Natasha stood up. "She had another nightmare." She started to leave. "No, I'll go, I should apologize for earlier." Natasha nodded and Steve left the house.   
Aris was curled up in a chair, she turned the radio on and listened. She found a particular song she enjoyed, the radio announcer called it O Children by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.   
Aris felt another person sit down beside her, he sighed, she turned her head to look at Steve. "You'll catch a cold out here." He said. Aris smiled softly, "I'm fine."   
"You didn't come to dinner either."   
"Steve I said I'm fine."   
"I know, I just worry about you sometimes." He said, he paused. "What are you doing out here?"   
"I uh, had another nightmare."   
"About?"   
"Ronan." She said, "I keep dreaming the same thing, that he wins and destroys Xandar and the Universe...I-" she took a breath.   
"I didn't mean to call you a bad person, indirectly of course. But I don't think your a bad person, even if you happen to be a pirate." He said the last part with a smile.   
Aris laughed.   
Tony came out of the house. "Hey, I'd hate to ruin the moment but we gotta go."   
They went inside, Aris packed up and dressed, she took her jacket out of the closet and put it on.   
"I'll take Natasha, Clint and Aris." Steve said.   
"Alright, strictly recon. I'll hit the Nexus, I'll join you as soon as I can."   
"If Ultron is really building a body-"   
"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot."   
"You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me."   
Aris smiled at Steve. "You should see space sometime." She said, she put her foot on a chair to put on her boots. "Steve?" She said, he hummed. "If you keep looking at me, you'll forget the task at hand."   
Fury walked over, putting on his jacket. "I'll drop Banner off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?"  
"She's all yours, apparently. What are you gonna do?"   
"I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope." He walked away. Aris zipped up her left boot and went to stand with Steve and Tony. "Ready to go?" 

She sat down next to Steve in the Quinjet. They didn't really talk, Aris was pretty distracted by the clouds. "I wonder what it would be like to touch one." She said, absentmindedly.   
"How many times have you seen clouds up close?"   
"Um...I guess this would be the 5th time? I'm so used to seeing clusters of stars and planets and cosmic dust, that I sometimes forget what clouds look like, hey, whats the date?" She asked, when the sun rose.   
"May 24th, why?"   
Aris smiled. "Its my birthday." Natasha looked in her direction. "Its your birthday?"   
Aris nodded, "I am..." she paused, "somewhere in my twenties."   
They approached Doctor Cho's office. "But we can celebrate later." 

 

They drop Steve onto the roof. "Two minutes, stay close." He told them.   
They listened in on his speaker.   
"He's uploading himself into the body."   
"Where?"   
"The real power is inside the Cradle. The gem, its power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark."  
"First I have to find it. Did you guys copy that?"   
"We did" said Barton.   
"I got a private jet taking off, across town, no manifest. That could be him."   
"There. It's the truck from the lab. Right above you, Cap. On the loop by the bridge. It's them. I got three with the Cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver."  
Aris looked down at the truck.   
"Negative! If that truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron." Aris saw Steve jump on the roof of the truck. He almost falls off when Ultron tries to blast him. "Well, he's definitely unhappy! I'm gonna try and keep him that way."   
"You're not a match for him, Cap."   
"Thanks, Barton."   
The Quinjet flies away from the highway to do a quick turnaround.   
Aris and Natasha walk up to the moterbike. "You want to go?" Natasha asks, Aris shook her head and held a hand out to the vehicle. "Ladies first." She joked, making Natasha smile.   
Barton opens up the ramp.   
"We got a window. Four, three...give 'em hell."   
Natasha gets on the bike and drops onto the highway.   
"I'm always picking up after you boys."  
"They're heading under the overpass, I've got no shot."  
"Which way?"   
"Hard right... Now."   
"Clint, can you draw out the guards?"   
"Lets find out, you wanna shoot, Birthday girl?" Aris smiles and walks up to the front of the jet, standing next to Barton she lowered the gun and grabbed hold of the bottons. "Best birthday ever." She comments and starts firing at Ultron. They got his minions out from the trunk and Barton flies the jet away, the bots latch onto the jet. One tries to break his way in and Barton does 360 turns to get them off. The bots began to fallback.   
"Heading back towards you. So whatever you're gonna do, do it now."   
"I'm going in, Cap, can you keep him occupied?"   
"What do you think I've been doing?"   
Aris saw the back of the truck flying off the highway.   
"Uh, Clint?"   
"I see it, I see it." He started to follow it. "Okay, package is airborne. I have a clean shot."   
"Negative. I am still in the truck."   
"What the hell are you-"   
"Just be ready, I'm sending the package to you."   
"How do you want me to take it?"   
"Uhh, you might wish you hadn't asked that."   
"I lost him, he's heading your way!"   
"Nat, we gotta go."   
Natasha drops the cradle into the Quinjet but her foot gets caught by Ultron and she's pulled away, Aris steadies the cradle.   
"Nat! Cap, you see Nat?"   
"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!"   
"Do you have eyes on Nat?"   
"Go!"   
Barton takes off. 

 

They arrive at Avengers Tower where Tony and Banner are waiting. They try to open it.   
"Anything on Nat?" Banner asks.   
"Haven't heard. But she's alive, or Ultron'd be rubbing our faces in it." Tony said, Barton got off the Cradle.   
"This is sealed tight."   
"We're going to need to access the program, break it down from within."   
"Hm. Any chance Natasha might leave you a message, outside the internet, old school spy stuff?"   
"There's some nets I can cast. Yeah, alright. I'll find her." Barton walks off.   
Tony stops Aris from touching something she shouldn't. "Give me that." Aris began to pout like a child.   
"Happy Birthday by the way." Banner says quietly, Aris smiles, "thank you, now, what do we do about this?" She put her hand on the Cradle.   
"I can work on tissue degeneration, if you can fry whatever operational system Cho implanted."   
"Yeah, about that."   
They both look at Tony.   
"No."   
"Tony..." Aris warns.   
"You have to trust me."   
"Kind of don't."  
Aris crossed her arms and stood with Banner. "I'm with Banner on this one Tony, I'm curious too but sometimes you just gotta learn when to quit."   
Tony sighed, "our ally? The guy protecting the military's nuclear codes? I found him." He pulls up Jarvis' consciousness.   
"Hello, Doctor Banner, Miss Ruud."   
"Ultron didn't go after Jarvis cause he was angry. He attacked him because he was scared of what he can do. So Jarvis went underground. Okay? Scattered, dumped his memory. But not his protocols. He didn't even know he was in there, until I pieced him together."   
"So, you want me to help you put Jarvis into this thing?" Banner asks.   
"No, of course not! I want to help you put Jarvis in this thing." Banner shakes his head. "We're out of my field here. You know bio-organics better than anyone."   
"And you just assume that Jarvis' operational matrix can beat Ultron's?"  
"Jarvis has been beating him from inside without knowing it. This is the opportunity, we can create Ultron's perfect self, without the homicidal glitches he thinks are his winning personality. We have to."   
"I believe it's worth a go." Jarvis said.   
"No, I'm in a loop! I'm caught in a time loop, this is exactly where it all went wrong."   
Tony put a hand on Banners shoulder. "I know, I know. I know what everyone's going to say, but they're already saying it. We're mad scientists. We're monsters, buddy. You gotta own it. Make a stand."   
Banner shakes his head.   
"It's not a loop. It's the end of the line." Tony continued.   
Aris watched them work, her curiosity at its peak, she would try to touch equipment but Tony would smack her hand away. "Don't touch my toys." In a pout she walked away to find a bathroom, she decided to take a shower. When she got out she walked to Banners lab, hair wrapped in a towel. She stopped in her tracks when on top of the cradle was a magenta coloured man. "Really?" She says, they all look at her, "I was gone for like 10 minutes." Her eyes scanned the messy lab and she sighed. Vision flew at Thor but he tossed him off, he almost went through a window. Everything is on pause for a moment, Vision creates clothes for himself and comes away from the window, he's constantly in the air.   
"I'm sorry, that was...odd." Vision said, he turned to Thor. "Thank you."   
"Thor, you helped create this?" Steve asked.   
"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at it's center is that. Thor points to the gem inside Vision's head.   
"What, the gem?"   
"It's the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities. My own daughter came into contact with another stone last year."   
"The Power Stone." Aris says, confirming what Thor said.   
"Where is it now?" Tony asked.   
"Safely locked away by the Nova Corps on Xandar."   
"But why would you bring the Mind Stone to-" Steve is interrupted.   
"Because Stark is right."   
"Oh, it's definitely the end times." Banner says, making Aris chuckle.   
"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron."   
"Not alone." Vision started walking.   
"Why does your "vision" sound like Jarvis?" Steve asked.   
"We reconfigured Jarvis' matrix to create something new."  
"I think I've had my fill of new." Steve said.   
"You think I'm a child of Ultron?"  
"You're not?"   
"I'm not Ultron. I'm not Jarvis I am...I am."   
"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." Wanda said.   
"Look again." Vision said.   
"Yeah. Her seal of approval means jack to me." Barton said.   
"Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side."   
"Is it? Are you? On our side?"   
"Its not that simple."   
"Well it better get real simple real soon."   
"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't, he will end it all."   
"What's he waiting for?"   
"You." Vision said.   
"Where?"   
"Sokovia, he's got Nat there too."   
Banner stepped forward. "If we're wrong about you, if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..."   
"What will you do?" Vision pauses. He looks at them all realizing they will destroy him. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net, we have to act now. And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go." Vision hands Thor Mjölnir and everyone just stares at him, in shock mostly. Vision goes off somewhere.   
"Right, well done." Thor pats Tony on the shoulder.   
"Three minutes. Get what you need."   
They all leave to get ready. 

Thor knocks on Aris' door right when she zips up her jumpsuit. "May I come in?" She nodded. "I realize that today is the date of your birth, actually I think you were born exactly on this hour 24 years ago." There was a pause.   
"What was my mother like?" Aris asked, Thor sighed and sat on her bed. "Your mother, was a beautiful woman, from Tromsø, her name was Magnhild Ruud, we met at a tavern, and about nine months later you were born, but there were compilations, to save your life your mother sacrificed herself, so you could live." Thor reached into his pocket, "I meant to give this to you on your 18th birthday, better late then never I guess." He handed Aris a necklace. "It was your mothers."   
The necklace was silver, it looked very old, the pendent was of a viking shield. "Your mother said her family is a descendant of vikings, she never told me more then that." Aris smiled and looked at her father. "Thank you."   
Barton knocked on the doorway. "We gotta go."   
Aris put on the necklace and followed Thor out of the room." 

Aris stood with Thor on the Quinjet, listening to Steve's speech.   
"Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them. And we can get the job done, and find out what Ultron's been building. We find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we're monsters and we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right." 

 

Aris was grouped with Wanda, she stood with her in town and watched her use mind powers to evacuate thousands of people.   
A little girl falls over and Aris helps her stand. Her hand brushes against Wanda's. "You're hoping to go home to someone special, you plan on surviving this." She said. Aris nodded, "I have to, by any means necessary."   
"I admire your strength."   
Aris smiled at her. Just then Ultron's army of robots start attacking the city. "Oh, this is...oh okay." Aris said, trying to keep calm.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Aris started whistling, but the robots would not go down, one went straight for her but she put away her arrow and ripped off a car door and hit it with it.   
"Get off the bridge!" Wanda starts rushing people off.   
A robot's hand turns into a gun and it advances towards Aris, a bullet went through the car door and grazed her arm. She hissed and dropped the door. She started a new tune, running her arrow through the robot like a needle. It fell off the bridge. Aris kept whistling and clutched her arm. Keeping the same pattern she disabled a dozen and a half of Ultrons robots.   
Then the land started to crack apart. Either they were rising or the country was sinking.   
Ultron's voice could be heard all around the city. "Do you see? The beauty of it, the inevitability. You rise, only to fall. You, Avengers, you are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword and the earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal." 

Aris was running, trying to get some of the heat off of Steve and onto her. She stopped by what remained of a museum. She whistled, but she didn't act fast enough, they were on her, punching and knocking her down, one grabbed hold of her face and squeezed, she yelled and threw it. They kept coming, she couldn't catch her breath, her prosthetic shined in the light, so the robot grabbed it and started to pull, Aris screamed in agony and pulled on the robots arm to try and get him to let go. "Lets get this thing off of you, Ravager." Ultron's voice said. Blood spilled into her eye. After a minute it was free, the robot pulled away and Aris fell, using the puddle in front of her she wiped the blood from her face, little holes remained from where the prosthetic sat, she was ready to give in, she had no weapon. But glittering in the light was a sword, and a large one, Aris smiled and ran for it. She picked it up and chuckled, "guess I'm gonna have to do this old school." She buckled the sword to on her waist and unsheathed it, giving it a spin she turned to the robots. "Come and get me."   
They half ran, half crawled to her, she used the sword as a shield to deflect bullets. She heard Steve on her earpiece. "Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job: tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed, walk it off."   
"I don't think you know how getting killed works." Aris joked. She ran further into the city. It was still moving, going higher into the air, Aris saw a little boy hiding in a car, he was screaming for his mother. Aris opened the door and he backed away, seeing the large sword in her hands. "Hey, hey its okay, I'm going to help you." She slid her sword back in its sheath and held her arms out. "Come on." He crawled towards her, she held him and ran. Not to far away a woman was screaming, "Micah! Micah!"   
"Mom!"  
Aris ran straight for the woman and handed her, her son. "Thank you."   
Aris nodded and ran off.   
A few robots found her location. Pulling her sword free she fought them, removing the arms first then the heads. She stopped to catch her breath but that had to be cut short because she was getting shot at. She hid behind a wall, of what was left of a house, a bullet almost hit her in the ear, her face was starting to bruise from where the robot grabbed her, and blood was caked on her face.   
She made it back to the bridge, it was collapsing and people were still trapped in cars. "Help me!" One woman screamed, Aris got her out of the car. "Go!" She told the woman and she started running. Aris heard a scream as a car went off the bridge, Steve tried to catch it but ripped of the bumper, Thor went after the car, tossing the woman to Steve, they both made it back okay. "You can't save them all." Ultron's robot said, "you'll never-" Steve threw his shield at him and he went off the bridge. "You'll never what? You didn't finish!" Thor landed on the bridge and he saw Aris' face. He walked towards her and touched her forehead gently. "Aris...we need to find a physician." He started to drag her off. "No!" He turned around, "dad I can wait, Sokovia can't." Thor sighed and smiled, "alright." He caught sight of the sword at her hip. "I see you've picked a suitable weapon." Aris rolled her eyes. "You say that only because its the first one I learned how to use."   
"Not only, but you were taught by Sif herself."   
Steve cleared his throat.   
"Oh, right." Aris said, "...murder robots." The three of them walked off the bridge. 

They were caught amongst dozens of robots, Aris picked up a discarded car door to use as a shield, she focused on her own method of "kill first ask questions later." She went straight for the heads. Thor tossed a few into a fuel tank and it exploded, she used the door to cover herself. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ultron. "Thor." He said. "You're bothering me." He flies off with him. "Dad!" Aris yells, but quickly goes back to fighting.   
Barton spoke into the radio comm. "we're clear here."   
"We are not clear! We are very not clear!" Steve added.   
"Alright, coming to you."   
"If you could hurry up that would be fantastic!" She said with a grunt, kicking a robot away from her.   
Steve through his shield to kill a robot for Natasha. "Thanks!"   
Aris ran over to help. "Hey, hows it going?" She said casually, decapitating a robot.   
"You look like hell." Was all Natasha said, picking up Steves shield to use against a bot, she tossed to Steve who finished it off.   
Aris allowed herself a moment of rest, she scratched off some of the dried blood on her forehead.   
The fight had stopped momentarily but it wasn't completely over and Aris knew she was in bad shape.   
"The next wave's gonna hit any minute. What have you got, Stark?" Steve asked.   
"Well, nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear."   
"I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."   
"Impact radius is getting bigger every second. We're going to have to make a choice."   
"Cap, these people are going nowhere." Natasha said, "If Stark finds a way to blow this rock..."   
"Not 'til everyone's safe."   
"Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math there."   
"I didn't say we should leave." Steve and Aris turns to look at her. "There's worse ways to go. Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"   
There was slight interference on Aris' radio. "Glad you like the view, Romanoff. It's about to get better." A helicarrier became visible over the clouds, Pietro showed up and watched. "Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do."   
"Fury, you son of a bitch."   
"Language!" Aris teased.   
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Fury said.   
Lifeboats flew towards the flying rock.   
"This is Shield?" Pietro asked.   
"This is what Shield is supposed to be."   
"This is not so bad." Aris chuckles with him.   
"Lets load 'em up."   
Robots go for the lifeboats and helicarrier. Aris saw a man in a black suit similar to Tony's shooting down robots.   
"Who is that?" Aris asked.   
"James Rhodes, you met him at the party." Natasha says. Aris nods her response. Tony quickly joins James. 

Aris helped children onto the lifeboats. "You got it, your okay, come on." It was quickly filled. "Steve! We're full here!" He nodded and gave the signal, the lifeboats went back to the helicarrier and came back when empty.   
The second time it was almost shot down but Tony caught it.   
"Thor, I got a plan!"   
"We're out of time. They're coming for the core."   
"Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier."   
"I'm on it."  
"Avengers, time to work for a living."   
Aris rolled her eyes and ran for the church, she stood by the core and cut the metal monsters down.   
Wanda walked in and Pietro went to check on her. Tony was the next one inside. "Romanoff? You and Banner better not be playing 'hide the zucchini'."   
Aris looked at Tony in disgust.  
"Relax Shell-head. Not all of us can fly." Natasha got out of the yellow truck. "Whats the drill?"   
"This is the drill." Tony pointed to the core. "If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose." Banner smashes into the church and Ultron made an appearance.   
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Aris whispered.   
"Is that the best you can do?" Thor yelled, Aris went to stand beside him, sword drawn. "Dad, that might not be the best choice of words." The rest of Ultrons army showed up.   
"You had to ask." Said Steve.   
"This is the best I can do, This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"   
"Like the old man said." Tony looked at Steve, "together."  
They stand in a circle to defend the core as they fight off Ultron's robots.   
"You know." Aris yelled to Thor above the noise, "I think I might stick to swords."   
Thor smiled, crushing a robots head.   
She hit the robots repeatedly until their heads fell off. "Although, I gotta say, this sword could be sharpened."   
Aris looked above her, Ultron and Vision were fighting, he pushed Ultron outside, Thor, Aris and Tony followed, Aris used her sword to channel her power, they held a controlled blast against Ultron. When he dropped to his knees they stopped, he was looking a little broken, parts were missing and places cracked with electricity. "You know, with the benefit of hindsight-" Banner knocked him far away. Aris sighed and gave him a pat on the forearm. "Good Hulk." She said exhausted, Banner grunted at her approval. The robots began to retreat.   
"They'll try to leave the city."  
"We can't let 'em, not even one. Rhodey!"   
Aris went back into the church.   
"We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."   
"What about the core?"  
"I'll protect it. It's my job." Wanda said. Aris left with Steve.   
Aris helped people onto the lifeboat. When it was full she jogged over to Thor and Steve. Suddenly they were being shot at, from up above, Aris got hit in her left hip and went down. "Aris!" Steve rushed for her and picked her up off the ground, she was falling in and out of consciousness. "I'm okay." She whispered. "I'm alright." She said a little more firm. She looked over, Pietro put himself in between the line of fire to save Barton and the little boy. Steve ran to him with Aris in his arms. "Put me down." She said.   
"What?"   
"Put me down, you need to get Pietro to the lifeboat." Steve hesitated. "Do it!" Steve put her down on the ground and picked up Pietro. "I'll come back for you."   
Aris nodded. 

When she was on the lifeboat the paramedics tried to attend to her but she swatted them away. "I'm fine!" 

The city started to fall, Steve almost didn't make it on the lifeboat.   
Within a minute the rock was destroyed and the rubble rained down on what was left of the city. Aris didn't see her dad return. She spun the necklace anxiously. 

 

Aris woke up in a bed at the new Avengers base, her head and wounds were stitched and bandaged. Tony called her out to the main room. She grabbed her jacket and left the room.   
"Whats up?" He handed her a device.   
"Whats this?"   
"This is something I created which will let you contact your friends anywhere in the galaxy and we can contact you using it, you have no idea how much money I spent working on it so take it." Aris smiled warmly at Tony. "Thank you."   
He smiled and walked away.   
She sat down and turned it on. "Peter Quill." She said, it gave her a list and she found a match, it connected her to his Milano. "Peter. Come in Peter." She paused, "Peter!"   
"This is Rocket."   
Aris sighed, "Rocket, wheres Peter?"   
"Asleep."   
"Go wake him up for me!"   
She was put on hold, Steve came by and sat next to her. "Go for Peter." Aris smiled, "hey Pete."  
"Aris! Hey, where are you?"   
"Earth, listen, I need you to come get me."   
"Why? Can't Yondu-"  
"No, I cant let him see me like this, he'll lose his mind. Please?"  
Peter sighed. "Alright, be there soon, bye."   
"Bye." She ended the call.   
"How long will it take for him to get here?" Steve asked.   
"Depends on how far away he is."  
She stood up, "hey." Steve said, she turned to look at him, "maybe when you come back, we could go to dinner?" He asked, Aris gave him a smile and shook her head, "Steve, I'm flattered but I have someone, so..."   
Steve hung his head in embarrassment, she gave him a playful punch in the arm. "But I'm flattered. Really." She walked away, "see you next time, Cap." 

 

Natasha found Aris walking or rather, limping along. "Should you be out of bed?" She said, crossing her arms. "I'm fine, I'm getting a ride." There was a pause. "Laura had the baby, she sent me a video, here." She went up beside Aris and handed her the phone and played the video message. "Say hi to auntie Nat." The baby squirmed and gurgled. "Nathanial Pietro Barton." Aris said, reading his onesie. "He has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen." She gushed. 

 

Aris was walking down the hallway with Tony, Thor and Steve.   
"The rules have changed."   
"We're dealing with something new."   
"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence."   
"A machine."   
"So it doesn't count."   
"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer."   
"Right. Different rules for us."   
"Nice guy, but artificial."   
"Thank you."   
"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply."   
Aris looked out the window and saw the Milano land. She smiled and gave Thor, Tony and Steve big hugs. "Gotta go!" She went downstairs as fast as she could, grabbing her duffle-bag she went for the ship, she turned around quickly to wave goodbye to Natasha and Fury. The ship opened and she walked inside.   
"Holy shit." Peter said when he saw her, she was on a crutch, her head was bandaged and she had yellow and purple bruising all around her face and neck. "Jeez, no wonder you didn't want Yondu to see you, he'd flip."

Aris saw her father and her friends walk outside, she tapped on the windshield of the ship, they turned around, she waved goodbye and sat down in a chair, Rocket took the pilots chair.   
Peter called Yondu. "What you want boy?"   
"Aris is back."   
"Well what are you just standing around for? Bring her home."   
Yondu gave him his coordinates.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Aris' hip was bothering her, she put her arm around Peter's shoulder and he helped her off the Milano.   
Yondu was waiting with Kraglin, Yondu had his back turned, Kraglin saw Aris and quickly smacked Yondu on the shoulder. He turned around, Aris was being supported by Peter, she looked uncomfortable and was covered in healing bruises, the right side of her head was covered in a forehead bandage, and frankly she just looked miserable. She saw Yondu and pushed Peter off her, Yondu scooped her up into a hug, she groaned in discomfort.   
"What the hell happened to you?" He yelled.   
Aris shrugged, "murder bot wanted to destroy the human race, he had a robot army, no big deal." She tried to play things off cooly.   
"No big deal? No big deal!" Yondu was angry, "you look like you should be dead!"   
"Well I'm not dead!"   
"Well you could be!"   
Yondu looked like he wanted to say something else but decided against it, Aris waited until he cooled down, "I'm sorry, I should have contacted you somehow when things got to much." Yondu sighed and touched her forehead gently, "what happened here?" He couldn't feel the prosthetic under his finger. "What happened?"  
"One of Ultron's robots ripped it off, Doctor Cho said the tissue was to damaged to replace it."   
"Oh baby." He whispered, "I'm sorry." He pulled her into a hug. "This thing is over ain't it? You have no reason to go back to Terra?"   
"Yondu, I'll always have reason to go back and protect it, its part of me, I'm an Avenger-"  
"You're a Ravager..."  
"I can be both, Yondu you have no idea how vulnerable Earth is, they aren't as advanced as the rest of the Galaxy, they're still figuring shit out. Yondu-"   
He cut her off, "this hero complex of yours is going to get you killed one day."   
Aris smiled, "I'm not a hero, I'm more of a villain with good side, I think they call those people anti-villains?" She turned to Peter, "you're more of an anti-hero but yeah."   
"Yondu-"  
"Not another word from you." He said, walking away.   
Aris sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Well he's mad."   
Peter put a hand on her shoulder. "He'll come around."   
She nodded and went back to the room she shared with Yondu. She started unpacking, she unraveled a piece of cloth, she managed to steal an ipod from Sokovia.   
Laying in bed she turned it on and listened to it. She felt the bed sink and she opened her eyes a smidgen, Yondu was sitting there and he had his back turned to her. She sat up and sighed, taking out the earbuds.   
"This, this path you've chosen." He started, "why do you feel like you have to protect that little planet?"   
Aris moved to sit behind Yondu, she wrapped her arms around his middle and put her head on his back. "Its where my mother grew up, its where Peter grew up, its part of me, Yondu, I couldn't leave and let my friends die."   
He stood up to face her. "I don't want you fightin' they're battles no more."   
"Yondu-"   
He put his hand up to stop her, "no more Terra, no more Avenging, you need to focus on being a Ravager, I made you co-captain for a reason." Aris got up on her knees on the bed so she could be eye level with him. "Yondu you may not like it but I-"   
He walked out of the room.   
"Yondu!" She called, "Yondu!" 

He didn't speak with her for days, and it was driving Aris insane. He didn't eat with her, he didn't come to bed, he wouldn't even look at her.   
She stood in the bathroom mirror, she removed the bandage and cut out the stitches, at least she'd have a cool new face scar.   
Aris entered the shower, she was washing the fresh scar on her upper arm when she broke down, she slid down the shower wall and cried. 

She had another nightmare that night, and she woke up alone. She grabbed a sweater and made her way downstairs. She sat in her chair and called the Milano.   
Drax answered. "Aris!" He shouted, smiling.   
"Hey Drax."   
"What can I do for you?"   
"Is Gamora there?"   
"Yes, yes she is."  
Drax left and came back with Aris' best friend.   
"Hey you." Aris said with a smile.   
"Your looking well." Gamora said, "but you also look sad, what is it?"  
"Yondu isn't speaking to me, he doesn't even come to bed anymore."   
"And this is all because of what happened on Earth?"   
Aris nodded, "I want to fix it but, I don't know how."  
"Don't force things, he cant stay angry with you forever."   
"Trust me, he probably could."   
"Give him time."   
"Time, right." She nodded and the call ended, "time."   
Aris went back to bed. When she woke up Yondu walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He didn't look at her, he just dressed in silence. When he left the room she curled back up into bed. 

She gave out orders to her side of the crew to go down to Hala to collect a bounty on one of Ronans fanatics. Yondu stopped in the hallway and saw Aris talking to Kraglin, he rubbed her arm and said something Yondu couldn't hear, Aris nodded and he left the room.   
Aris looked out of the doorway and it was empty. She looked at the ground sadly and sat in her chair, crossing her legs, watching the planet. 

Yondu walked into the bedroom, Aris was curled up in bed, facing the wall. He stripped down to only his pants and crawled in beside her for the first time in months, his fingers grazed the puckered scar on her forearm, he kissed her shoulder hesitantly, thinking she was asleep he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Aris moved her hand to rest on top of his, she smiled softly ignoring the tears that dripped onto her pillow.   
"I'm sorry." He said, pulling her closer. 

 

It took them a few days but they were back in sync with each other. 

 

Yondu walked into his room, Aris just finished zipping up her boots she looked up at him and smiled, he got a really good look at her scar, even with her hair growing back he could see it, it was long, and pink. He looked at her worriedly.   
"What?"   
"Nothing, doll."   
She stood up and walked to him. "What is it? Yondu?"   
He touched her scar, "I just worry about you, thats all."   
Aris smiled softly and wrapped her arms around his torso, "sometimes I think our rolls are reversed and it should be me worrying about you."   
Yondu smiled and kissed her. "Don't we have another Ronan fanatic to hunt down for Hala?" Aris said raising an eyebrow.  
"Yes we do."   
They left the room and went to knock some fear into members of the crew and what will happen if they fail. 

 

The kree was locked in a cell, he spat at Aris' feet. She lost her temper for a second, grabbing the kree by his jacket she slammed his head against the bars, knocking him unconscious. "Fucker." She said.

 

They delivered the kree to Hala and collected the bounty. 

 

Yondu showed up behind Aris and put a little book in front of her. She held it in her hands, "this is from Asgard." She said turning around, "it tells the story of the war against Asgard and Jotunheim. And many other battles, how did you get it?"   
"Would you tell me a story?"   
She nodded and they sat down. She didn't have to open the book to tell him a story she knew by heart.   
"In 965 Laufey invaded Tønsberg Norway, he wanted to bring Earth a new ice age and claim the planet as their own, but the people of earth found themselves an ally in Asgard. The army was lead by my grandfather Odin, and they drove the Frost Giants' back to Jotunheim. Odin pressed his attack into Jotenheim and, after a battle of great cost, Odin defeated Laufey and took from him the source of the Frost Giants' great power, the Casket of Ancient Winters."   
"Casket of Ancient Winters?"   
Aris smiled, "The Casket of Ancient Winters is a relic, Odin took it and kept it in his vault."   
Yondu smiled and watched Aris open the book to read him the stories.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Yondu woke up to Aris screaming and thrashing around in bed. "Aris?" He shook her shoulder, he got hit a few times, he grabbed her wrists, trying to hold her down. "Aris! Aris!"  
She woke up crying, bolting straight up in bed, she started shaking.   
He moved so she was on his lap, he hummed and rocked her back and forth.   
Aris had nightmares so often that it took Yondu a while to find something that worked to calm her down.   
They fell back asleep, Aris was straddling his hips and had her head on his chest.   
When Aris woke up she felt something hard press against her inner thigh, but given last nights events she wasn't in the mood, she got off Yondu gently, to not wake him.   
She took a shower, dressed and went to grab something to eat but the kitchen was almost bare and the cook was past out on the floor with a whiskey bottle, she kicked him in the ribs and he stirred. "Wake up."   
He stood up rather sloppily, "yes ma'am?"   
"Find something to cook in this pigsty, I'm starved."   
"Yes ma'am."   
She left the kitchen. 

The cook ended up giving her bread with some sort of fruit jelly and a cantina of water. "I'm sorry, that's all we have right now."  
"Its fine." She said, shooing him away.   
Yondu sat at the table across from her. "Someone's in a bad mood." He said, taking a piece of bread off her plate. "Hey!"   
He took a bite and smiled at her.   
"We're out of food." She said, Yondu sighed, "would you like to go to Xandar today then?"   
Aris nodded and took a drink.   
"Can I ask you a question?"   
She nodded.  
"Do you ever dream about going back to Asgard?" Aris shook her head. "No, it was not my home, and I do not miss it, not for a moment."   
"You never told me about your childhood, what was it like?"   
Aris put her food down, "um, I wasn't the best kid, and I wasn't exactly great at being royal. I used to dress like a boy and sneak out to meet up with some street kids and we would steal and loot, sometimes we were caught but I was given a pardon. I never followed the rules, everything was on my own terms, and I sucked at being a lady. I guess you could say I was born for a life like this." She laughed, "what about you? You never told me about your childhood." Yondu stiffened, "I mean you don't have to tell me anything I was just-"   
"No, its okay." He took a deep breath. "My parents sold me to the Kree Empire, for money and I spent twenty years as a battle slave, until Stakar Ogord found me and welcomed me into the Ravagers."   
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get exiled?"  
"It was discovered that I was delivering children to the living planet, Ego, and it turns out he was eatin' his children-"  
Aris gasped.   
"Let me finish-"   
"So did you deliver those kids knowing what their fate would be?"  
"No! No! Of course not! I didn't find out until before Quill, I knew what would happen to that boy so I kept him."   
"You saved his life." She smiled. "Its funny, we've been together nearly a year and we're just starting to actually get to know each other."   
Yondu chuckled. 

Aris took a few men down to Xandar to do some food shopping, they returned with crates of fruits and vegetables, various meats, flour, salt for the produce, gallons and gallons of water, among other things. 

 

She made the cook and his staff actually work for once so they all could have something proper to eat. 

 

Aris came out of the bathroom, fluffing her damp hair. Yondu was laying in bed with his back against the headboard. She walked up to the edge bed and went under the covers, crawling up Yondu's legs. "What are you doin'?" Aris giggled and curled up on top of Yondu, her head peaking out from the blanket.  
Yondu sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "You're mean, you got me excited over nothing."   
"Sleep." Aris said. Yondu smiled devilishly, "oh but I couldn't possibly sleep now." He flipped them over, making Aris yelp with surprise and laugh. "What did you have in mind, Captain?" She said, wrapping her legs around his waist. 

 

Aris woke up and untangled herself from Yondu, she walked into the bathroom and caught sight of her naked body in the mirror. She was covered in scars, some were long and thin or short, she traced the one on her hip from when she got shot in Sokovia. She also noticed that she'd lost weight, not a whole lot but it was noticeable. Aris groaned in frustration, she finished in the bathroom, got washed up and dressed. She gave Yondu a quick kiss on the forehead and left the room. 

Most of the crew were already awake. One of the monitors started beeping. She went over to Wretch, "what have we got?" She asked.   
"Several break outs at the Kyln, Nova put a price on their heads."   
"How much?"   
"1.5 million units each."   
"How many?"  
"Three in total, ma'am."   
"Lets go get them, we're already close to Morag, lets stop there first."   
"Yes ma'am." 

She went over to the window at stood next to Kraglin.   
"Where's captain?"   
"Sleeping."  
"You really wore him out last night, huh?"   
Aris shoved him playfully on the shoulder. "Shut up."   
"Ma'am!" Wretch said, standing up, she turned around to face him. "Yes?"   
"Two of the inmates were spotted on Sakaar."   
"Just two?"   
He nodded. She turned to the pilot, and nodded, he put in the coordinates for Sakaar.

 

She joined a few of them on the planet, she scrunched her nose up at the smell, the planet was covered in trash.   
"Two of 'em are reported to be Krylorian." Horuz said, Aris nodded, "they'll stick out here." She divided the group into three and they went looking.   
"You know, Yondu wont be pleased that you're leading this bounty without him." Horuz said, Aris rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Horuz, I'm my own person, I can do as I please, is that understood?"   
"Yes ma'am."  
"Now keep your eyes open, their pink skin shouldn't be hard to miss."   
Aris saw a flash of pink duck down in the shell of a Chitauri speeder. She held her hand out to Horuz and approached the Krylorian cautiously. "Hey, hello, hi," she said, "we're not going to hurt you alright? We just want to talk."  
"Are you with Nova?" The woman asked.   
"No, I'm not with Nova, but I would like to talk to you."   
The woman got up to run away, Aris sighed, "we coulda done this the easy way." She threw a energy bola at the woman, it tangled around her legs and she fell down, Aris whistled at Horuz who went to pick her up, he swung the pink woman over his shoulder. 

Aris regrouped with the rest of them, they had the second one, a man, cuffed. He was struggling to get free. Aris shook her head. "Its useless darlin', we're going to find the last one and then you both are getting turned over to Nova and uh," she looked at her men and shrugged, "then we get paid."   
They piled into Uvær and went back to the mothership.   
The krylorian were dragged over to the cells.   
"Any news on the last one?"  
"Negative ma'am." Tullk said, Aris sighed, "well keep your eyes peeled, he, she, it has to be somewhere."  
"Yes ma'am."   
She went off to find Yondu, he was staring out the window, arms crossed, she sighed and sluggishly walked over to Yondu and wrapped her arms around his middle, she pushed up onto her tippy-toes to put her chin on his shoulder.   
"Did you orchestrate a bounty without me?" He said, Aris smiled, "I might've."  
"Why didn't you wake me?"  
"You seemed so peaceful while you were sleeping, I thought you wouldn't mind."  
"How many and how much?"   
"We have two out of the three and Nova is commissioning 1.5 million units each."   
Yondu whistled, Aris smiled, "the man was in for arson and the woman, poisoned her husband."   
"Nothing on the third one yet?"   
Aris shook her head, "either he's really good at hiding or someone else got him."   
Yondu turned around and put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. "Wait for me, next time okay?"   
Aris nodded, Yondu kissed her forehead and walked off. She sighed and plopped down on her chair.

 

They delivered the Krylorian's to the Nova Corps and collected the bounty. 

Aris was walking down the hallway when Halfnut slammed her into the wall, she kept calm, he pressed his arm to her throat.   
"Alone at last, woman." He snarled, he moved to her belt, she slammed her heal on his foot, he groaned, Aris got out of his grasp, she took hold of his arm and snapped his wrist. He screamed and collapsed onto the ground and held his arm, Aris started to walk away. "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"   
Aris turned around and dropped on him, keeping her knee on his throat. "I could kill you, ya know, and no one would give a shit." She spat. She stood up and stepped over him, digging a heel into his shoulder. "Fucker."  
She walked off.

 

Yondu walked into the bedroom, "what did ya do to Halfnut doll?"   
Aris sighed, "he tried to force himself on me so I defended myself." She said, tugging off her boot. Yondu sat beside her and she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.   
The moment was interrupted by a beeping, Aris reached over and opened the drawer, she pulled the device out, Tony's name flashed at her, Aris groaned. "Who's that?" Yondu asked, Aris answered the call. "Hey Tony."   
"Ah, good you answered."   
She rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"   
"I need your help."  
"Tell me you didn't create another murder bot Tony."   
"No, no its not like that, its about Steve."   
"Why, what happened?"   
"We're having a bit of an argument."   
"If its a bit, you can do it yourselves."   
She went to hang up, "Aris, please, just at least, come and try to talk some sense into him."   
She turned to Yondu, he tried to keep a straight face, Aris sighed, "Tony...I..."  
"Just for a few days, a few days, there's no fighting, no battles, just to talk."  
She sighed, "I'll see what I can do."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

"No."  
"Yondu-"  
"No, last time you went to Terra you almost died Aris."  
"Its just to talk."  
"Aris-"  
"Yondu, please, its just a few days."   
He frowned at her and she smiled, "don't give me that look."   
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her roughly too him. "I don't want to argue with you about this."  
"Then lets not argue, baby, please?" She reached up and touched his face, "a few days."   
He sighed and gave in. "A few days then." She gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you." 

Aris packs a few necessities and leaves on Uvær. 

 

Aris lands on the Avengers Tower, I guess it would be Stark Tower again since the Avengers moved out. Aris walked inside, "what the hell, Tony?" Was the first thing she said, "Aris, how good to see you." A tall red head turns around, "so this is Red Storm." She said smiling.   
Aris blinks, "Red Storm?"   
Pepper's smile fell, "oh, you didn't know?"   
"Know what?"  
"Thats what the government is calling you."   
Aris rolled her eyes, "great." She drawled. "Anyway, Tony, whats going on?"   
"The United Nations have issued something called Sokovia Accords, it was issued after the incident in Lagos." He went over to pour the three of them drinks, he handed one to Aris, "which you were not here for."  
"And what are the Sokovia Accords?"  
"Its a document approved by 117 countries, and states basically that the Avengers will no longer work separately, as a private organization but instead will work with the Untied Nations and be used when the United Nations deems it necessary."  
"And what? Steve won't sign it? Is that what I'm here for?"   
"Aris, Steve likes you, he'll listen to you."   
"What happens if I can't get him to agree?"   
"I don't know."

Tony and Aris left to discuss the Sokovia accords. They argued about nothing of importance for the past hour, Aris sat down with Natasha and Tony, James and Sam stood up to argue among themselves. Steve was currently flipping through the accord.   
"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have." James said.   
"So, let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they lo-jack us like a bunch of common criminals?"   
"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, it's cool.'"   
"How long are you going to play both sides?"   
"I have an equation." Vision interrupted.   
"Oh, this will clear it up."   
"In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of noted enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commissive rate."   
"Are you saying its our fault?" Steve asked.   
" I'm saying there maybe a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight. Oversight is not an idea that could be dismissed out-of-hand."   
"Boom." James added, Steve turned to Aris.   
"And where do you stand on this?"   
"Steve, I agree with the United Nations." Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I thought-"  
"Steve, yes I may be a pirate, yes I could be considered a criminal but, this, all of this." She gestured around the room, "has put a strain on my relationship, I cant keep coming to Terra whenever there's a threat because you feel the need to stop it yourselves, you have armies for a reason, you cant keep putting yourselves in the line of fire whenever someone calls danger."   
"Out of everyone in this room, I thought you'd be different."   
Aris sighed and leaned back on her elbows.   
"Tony," Natasha starts, "you're being uncharacteristically non-hyper verbal."   
"That's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said.   
"Boy, you know me so well. Actually, I'm nursing my electromagnetic headache." He walks over to the sink. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"   
He pulls up a device and a photo of a young black boy shows up. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree. 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig. An Intel plan for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul. Before he park it behind then desk. See the world, maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam. Sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer, building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia. He want to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass. There's no decision making process here. We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're bounderless, we're no better than the bad guys."   
"Tony, if someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."  
"Who said we're giving up?"   
"We are, for not taking responsibility for our actions. These documents just shifts the blames."   
"Sorry. Steve, that... That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the world security council, it's not Shield it's not Hydra."   
"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change."   
"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing them."   
"Tony. You chose to do that. If we sign these, we surrender our right to choose. What if this Panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go. What if it's somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us. We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."   
"If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later. That's a fact. That won't be pretty."   
"You're saying they will come for me?" Wanda asked.   
"We will protect you." Vision told her.   
"Maybe Tony is right. If, we have one hand on the wheel that can still steer." Aris turned her head towards Natasha.  
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?"  
"I'm just...reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win our trust back."   
"I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me." Tony said, proud of himself.   
"Oh, I want to take it back."   
"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you, unprecedented. Okay, case close. - I win."   
Steves phone buzzes. "I have to go." He gets up and walks out of the room. 

Tony hands Aris a cup of black coffee.  
"You know out of everyone in this room I never thought you and Natasha would agree with me."   
She smiled, "well I have a life up in space, and the faster we get Steve to sign this, the faster I can go home." She took a sip of the coffee and outwardly cringed. "Bleh, that's awful." She took another sip. Tony laughed. "Yet you're still drinking it." She smiled at him. Vision finished signing the accord and passed it to Aris, she sighed and took it and the pen from his hands, she signed it and put it on the table. 

 

Aris was watching the news about the bombing in Vienna, she sighed, "there's always something." Tony walked in the room. "Do they know who it is yet?"   
He poured himself a coffee. "Steve's estranged pal Bucky Barnes."   
She turned back to the tv, "Steve isn't just going to let them take him, is he?" Aris sighed, "Steve you're a moron." 

 

Aris stepped out of the shower that was attached to the bedroom she was given to stay, until things get properly sorted.   
She sat on the bed and fluffed her hair out with a towel, her hair on the right side of her head was growing back quite nicely and at a fast rate. She turned on the tv, Steve, Bucky and Sam were arrested in Germany. Aris sighed, "you idiot." She turned the tv off, Tony knocked on her door. "I'm flying us out to Germany, dress appropriately, no leather." Aris smiled and dressed in a red blouse, blazer, pencil skirt and ankle boots.   
They flew out on one of Tony's many private planes. 

They entered the Joint Counter Terrorist building and were escorted into a room.   
she stood around while Tony made some calls.   
"Try not to break anything while we fix this." Natasha entered the room with Steve, Sam, T'Challa and several others.   
Aris was leaning up against the table, with her blazer in hand, listening in on Tony's conversation.   
"Consequences? You bet there will be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir."   
Natasha nodded for Aris to come over. She stood with the three of them.   
"Consequences?" Steve asked.   
"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. I have to give him something."  
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?"   
"Technically, it's the government's property." Natasha turned to Sam. "Wings too."   
"That's cold."   
Tony, Natasha and Aris left the room.   
"Warmer than jail." 

 

Tony and Aris walked back into the room. "Maybe this time we can talk some sense into him." Aris sat down at the table.   
"Hey, you want to see something cool? I pulled something from dad's archives. Well, timely. FDR signed the Land-Lease bills with these in 1941. Provided support to the allies when they needed most."   
"Someone said it brought our country closer to war."   
"Seen enough of these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to, what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?" Tony sat down at the table.   
"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her."   
" We are... kinda... - well not kinda..."   
"Pregnant?"  
"No, definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."  
"I'm so sorry Tony, I didn't know."   
"Few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to muck up HYDRA. And then Ultron, my fault. And then, and then, and then. I never stopped. Cause the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't want to lose her. I thought maybe the Accords can split the difference." He stood up, "in her defence, I'm a handful. Yet, dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work." He turned around to watch the monitors.   
"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single."   
"Oh really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you." Tony put on his jacket.   
"I don't mean to make things difficult."   
"I know. Because you're a very polite person."   
"If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. - Sometimes I wish I could."   
"Maybe you should learn too." Aris said awkwardly, Steve looked at her and back to Tony.   
"No, you don't. Sometimes... Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. Until further nothing's happen that can't be undone, please... sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center instead of a Wakanda prison."   
Steve picked up one of Howard's pens and stood up. "I'm not saying it's impossible. But there would have to be safeguards."   
"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, these documents can be amended. I filed a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated."   
"Wanda? What about Wanda?"   
"She's fine. She's confined to the compound currently. Vision's keeping her company."   
"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you're seeing things the right way-"  
"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people."  
"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony."   
"Boys-" Aris started.  
"She's not a US Citizen."  
"Oh, come on, Tony."   
"And they don't grant visas to Weapons of Mass Destruction."   
"She's a kid!"   
"GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done ...to save off something worse."   
"You keep telling yourself that. Hate to break up the set." He put the pen on the table and walked out of the room.   
Aris took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "That could have been worse then it was."   
Aris stood in a room watching a man named Zemo talk to Bucky.   
"Hello, Mr. Barnes. I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit? Your first name is James? I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James? I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."   
"My name is Bucky."   
"Tell me Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?"   
"I don't want to talk about it."  
"You feel that... if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry. We only have to talk about one."   
Suddenly the power went out. Everett Ross pulled out a walky-talky. "Great. Come on, guys. Get me eyes on Barnes."   
Tony went to contact Friday.   
"Give me the source of that damage." 

"Evac all civilians. Give me a perimeter around the building and gunships in the air."   
Aris rushed out of the room with Tony and Natasha.   
"Please tell me you have a suit."  
"Sure do. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-Piece, 2 button-"   
"Tony, be serious."  
"I'm on active duty, non combatant."   
"Stop here for a second." Aris said, they stopped, Aris tossed off her blazer and started undoing her shirt. "What are you doing?" Natasha whispered, "you think I would go somewhere without my jumpsuit?" She took off her blouse, underneath she was wearing her Ravager outfit. She shimmed out of the skirt and pulled the pant legs down. She kicked her clothes away.   
"Lets go."   
Sharon ran past them. "Follow me."   
The girls waited, "we're in position." Natasha told Tony.   
Sharon ran in first, kicking Bucky in the side and then again, ducking a swing. Natasha ran in after, kneeing him in the chest. She got him near the balls and ducked down, Aris ran in to get a shot, she got her legs on his shoulders and went for the neck but he flipped her onto a table, breaking it. Natasha had the same idea, getting him to move, he flipped her onto a table and started to choke her. She had her ankles locked on his neck.   
T'Challa got Bucky off of her. Bucky started walking up the stairs. T'Challa followed.  
Aris stood up and pulled a splinter from her arm. "Where did he go?"  
"I don't know, he just disappeared." 

They met up again in the briefing room with Thaddeus Ross.   
"And I don't suppose you have any idea where they are."   
"We will. GSG-9's got the borders covered. Recons flying 24/7. They'll get a hit. We'll handle it."  
"You don't get it, Stark. It's not yours to handle. It's clear you can't be objective. I'm putting special ops on this."  
"And what happens when the shooting starts, let them kill Steve Rogers?"   
"If we are provoked."   
"Barnes would have been eliminated in Romania if it wasn't for Rogers. There are dead people who would be alive now. Feel free to check my math."  
"All due respect, you're not going to solve this with boys in bullet vest. You got to let us bring him in."  
"Ross: And how will that end any differently from the last time."  
"Because this time I won't be wearing Loafers and a silk suit. 72 hours, guaranteed."  
"36 hours. Barnes." He walked out of the room. "Rogers. Wilson."   
"My left arm is numb, is that normal?"   
Natasha went to stand next to Tony. "You alright?"  
"Always, 36 hours, jeez."  
"We're seriously understaffed."  
"Oh, yeah. It would be great if we have a hulk, right about now. Any shot?"  
"No. You really think he'd be on our side?"   
"I know. - I've an idea."  
"Me too."  
"What's yours?"  
"Downstairs, whats yours?"   
"Queens."

 

Natasha and Aris got in the car to pick up T'Challa.  
Natasha turned to Aris. "You okay, you're looking a little...blue."   
Aris sighed, "its just, I promised Yondu it would be a few days that there wouldn't be any...physical confrontation." She paused. "He's worried about me, about me being here. Last time nearly killed me. And when I got back it put a strain on us as a couple. He didn't talk to me for months, didn't eat with me, didn't sleep in the same bed. We just started getting back on track when Tony called." Aris let out a breath. 

 

They waited downstairs by the car.   
A bald woman went right up to them. "Move, or you will be moved."   
"As entertaining as that would be." T'Challa opened one of the back doors to the car.   
"You really think you can find him?"  
"Our resources are considerable."  
"Yeah. It took the world 70 years to find Barnes. So, you could probably do better than them by half that time."   
"You know where they are?"  
"I know someone who does."   
They got in the car.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is cliché, its very cliché. Whoops.

Aris finished getting her quad blasters holstered on her hips.   
"What are those?" T'Challa asked, Aris smiled, "I brought some of my own toys with me this time."   
She took one out to show him, "my friend Peter had these made specifically for me, he said it was because I have small hands." Aris smiled, "anyway, lets go kick some sense into Steve Rogers, you get to kill Barnes and after I can go home and that way, my boyfriend is less mad at me." She paused. "I gotta go to the bathroom." She walked out of the room. 

Aris and T'Challa met up with the rest of the group at Berlin airport. Aris felt the need to go to the bathroom again but she pushed it aside. 

Aris and Natasha walked up to Steve. "Steve. You know, what's about to happen. Do you really want to punch your way out of this one?"   
"Steve, please, I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have too." Aris said.   
"All right, I've run out of patience." Tony put his hands up to his mouth. "Underoos!"   
Peter jumped onto the scene, taking Steve's shield and binding his hands in webbing.   
"Nice job, kid."   
"Thanks. Well, I could've stuck the landing a little better. It's... just the new suit... Well, it's nothing, Mr. Stark It's-It's perfect, thank you."   
"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation."   
"Okay. Cap... Captain. Big fan, I'm Spider-Man."  
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later. Just..."  
"Hey everyone." Aris waved at Peter.   
"...good job."   
"You've been busy." Steve said.   
"And you've been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint. 'Rescuing ' Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave. A safe place. I'm trying to keep..." Tony sighed. "I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart."   
"You did that when you signed."   
"Alright, I'm done. You're gonna turn Barnes over and you're gonna come with us. NOW! Because it's us! We're squaded JSOC, guys, with no compunction about being impolite. Come on."   
Steve put up his hands, an arrow sped by cutting him loose. "Alright Lang."  
"Hey guys something-" Peter is knocked over and Lang pops outta nowhere, taking Steve's shield.   
"Whoa. What-What the hell was that?" James looked at Aris, she shrugged. Lang handed Steve his shield. "I believe this is yours, Captain America."   
Aris snorted clearly amused, "did he just call Steve, Captain America?"   
"Oh great, Alright, there's two on the parking deck. One of them is Maximoff, I'm going to grab her. Rhodey, you want to take Cap?" Tony and James flew up and Tony took off.   
"Got two in the terminal. Wilson and Barnes."   
"Barnes is mine!" T'Challa ran off. Steve hit James with his shield.   
"Hey, Mr. Stark, what should I do?"  
"What we discussed. Keep your distance. Web em up."   
"Roger that!" Peter took off. Natasha was fighting Lang. Aris stood there awkwardly, "okay...I'll just...wait here..."   
Natasha tossed an ant sized Lang into a plane and walked back to Aris. She pointed at where Lang would be. "Uh, question, what the hell is that?"   
Natasha smiled, "his name is Scott Lang, we call him Ant-Man."   
"Ant-Man."  
James got up, and So did Lang, he gave Steve a tiny truck. "Throw it at this, now!" They tossed the objects at James, Aris and Natasha ran out of the way, it grew to full size. "Oh, come on!" The truck exploded on impact.   
Aris got up off the ground.   
"Alright, now I'm pissed." James said, Aris held her side and walked up to him. "Really? Because if you weren't I'd be kinda concerned, darlin'." Aris mentally kicked herself.   
"Did you just call me darlin'?"  
"I know, I'm sorry, it just slipped out." Aris saw Vision go after Steve. Tony gave Natasha a lift. "Hey, James, you wanna throw me over there?"  
"What?" He asked, almost offended.   
"Just throw me over there?" Aris grabbed hold of his arm and he gave a large swing, Aris landed on her knees by Natasha, cracking the cement. "Not that hard!" She yelled, James showed up with T'Challa.   
"Sorry."   
Peter landed next to Aris. "Oh, hi!" She turned to him, giving a smirk. "What's up?"   
"What do we do now Cap?"  
"We fight."  
Natasha turned to Aris, "this is gonna end well."   
"I'm gonna be in so much trouble." She whispered.   
They charged for each other. But before she could start fighting Vision picked up Aris and dropped her off somewhere safe. "Hey! What the hell?"   
"You're carrying something precious, you need to keep it safe."   
"Precious? What?" He flew off. "Vision! I don't understand! Vision!" He was gone, "shit." Exhausted she rested her head against the wall. 

After an hour Natasha came back to get her, "is it over?" She nods, "Rhodes was hit."  
"Who?"  
"James."   
"Oh, is he going to be okay?"   
Natasha sighed, "we don't know." She helped her up and Aris felt nauseous and slipped down the wall but Natasha caught her. "Whoa, you're okay, you're okay." 

 

At the hospital Natasha had some of the doctors look Aris over, when they finished she went to the bathroom and walked over to where James was getting a ct scan. Tony joined them shortly after. "How did this happen?" Tony asked him.   
"I became distracted."  
"I didn't think that was possible."  
"Neither did I."   
The doctors called Aris back into the room. They told her the news and she went to find Natasha, she was getting a cup of crappy hospital coffee. "Did you find out what's wrong?"   
Aris smiled and shrugged, "I'm uh, I'm pregnant."   
Natasha smiled, "isn't that a cliché." Aris tilted her head to the side, not understanding but Natasha just smiled, grabbing Aris a water. "So what now?" She asked.   
"I have to wait for Tony to get back so I can go home, my ship is docked at Stark Tower."   
"I've never seen the inside of a spaceship."   
Aris smiled, "its not much different looking then your quinjets, but with a little more space." They shared a laugh.   
"Pregnant huh?" Aris whispered, putting a hand on her stomach. "I didn't even think it would be possible."  
"Why?"  
"I'm half Asgardian, half human and Yondu is Centaurian, I didn't even think for a second that there would be a possibility of our genetic codes being compatible."   
Natasha noticed some shifty people. "We gotta go." She started pulling Aris along. "Why?"   
"I broke the rules of the accord and technically you're illegal. I'll get you to Stark tower myself." 

They left the hospital and then Germany, finding a jet. They flew back to New York. Landing just outside of the city Natasha grabbed a bike and they headed to Stark Tower, once inside Aris ran for her M-ship.   
"You're right, a lot more space." Natasha smiled at the ship.   
"Thank you, Natasha." Aris said before opening the ramp. She went in for a hug. "You're welcome, now, get outta here you damn pirate."   
Aris did a mock salute and entered the ship, she sighed at the familiar surroundings, going over to the back she turned on the ipod she stole from Sokovia, and started singing along to some pop balled from someone named Beyoncé. The ship was moved outside and turned around, Aris took the pilots seat and waved at Natasha, she started up Uvær and took off. 

Went she was out of Earths orbit she called Yondu. "Hey baby." She said, he gave her a grunt, "whoa, someones grumpy."   
"I expected you back yesterday, what happened?" He said with his arms crossed.  
"I'm sorry, I was in hospital, gravity...sickness." She lied. He knew she was lying, "uh-huh, we're near Xandar if you wanna join us."   
Aris nodded. "Be there soon." She cut off the call and took a deep breath, leaning on the table, she couldn't tell Yondu, she wasn't ready too, she had no idea what his reaction would be. Walking sluggishly over to her pilots chair she made the jumps to Xandar, but felt nauseous slightly after and went to the bathroom.   
When she came back she sat down and looked over the past month, frequent bathroom visits, she was eating less, was always tired, and she missed last months cycle.   
She tried to remember how it happened, which was easy, they didn't take precautions when it came to sex, they were both under the impression that they're genetic codes weren't compatible so there was no need to take precautions. But either way this was still a surprise.   
Aris breathed deeply and felt a pang of anxiety when she saw the Eclector. Once boarded she went to the shared bedroom.   
She had finished unpacking the little she brought, feeling like she needed a nap she kicked off her boots and crawled into bed.  
She stirred when Yondu shook her gently. "Wake up darlin', come on." Aris groaned and rolled onto her side away from him. Yondu smiled and continued to poke at her, Aris groaned louder and shooed at him. He sighed, "alright, I didn't wanna do this." He started to physically lift her out of bed. "Nooooo." She whined, ignoring her, he got her on her feet. Her eyes were still half closed, she looked up at him. "How did it go?" He asked with his arms crossed. "Steves an idiot." She said, rubbing her eyes and walking into the bathroom. She shut the door on him, she walked out a few minutes later and continued, "his best friend bombed the United Nations building in Vienna, killing the president of Wakanda, but instead of letting the government take him in, he protects him, putting the Avengers at risk, going against the accord, and even after they're arrested they take the opportunity to escape where they tried to leave for Siberia, I had to choose sides, I sided with Tony, anyway, long story short, they fought it out, I didn't." She said, that last part was a half truth, Vision had dragged her away from the fight. Yondu stood there processing the information, he laughed, "your stories never fail to entertain me baby." She smiled, "so its over? No more Terra?"   
Aris thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Thats right, no more Terra." She walked over and put her head and hands on his chest, he hummed and wrapped her up. "You're with me full time now darlin'." She nodded into his chest. "How about we go get something to eat?" He suggested, the mere mention of food made Aris cringe. "I'm not very hungry right now, I had a cheeseburger with Natasha before I left."   
"Cheeseburger?" He asked, a little amused, Aris looked up at him, "yeah, you know, its like a sandwich but with beef and cheese on round bread, I didn't really understand it, but I thought Peter would have told you all about it."  
"He might've."   
Aris smiled, but frowned, "excuse me." She untangled from him and ran into the bathroom, locking the door. Yondu cringed at the sound of his girl throwing up, he knocked on the door softly. "You okay baby?"  
"I'm fine."   
"Are you sure?"  
"I'm fine!" She yelled, clearly annoyed. Yondu backed away from the door and left the room.   
She cleaned up in the bathroom and sat up in bed, Kraglin knocked on the door. "What?" He walked in, "captain sent me to check on you." He stood by the bed with his hands in his pockets. "You okay?"   
Aris sighed. "I'm pregnant Kraglin." He took a minute to process what she told him. "Does he know?" He said, almost hesitantly, Aris shook her head, "I don't know how to tell him." Kraglin shrugged, "just upfront tell him." Aris shot him daggers, "are you nuts? I cant just upright tell him!" She lowered her voice, "He probably doesn't even want kids, how am I supposed to tell him? And I don't know what to do about it, our life isn't exactly a stable condition for a child."   
Kraglin didn't know what to say. "Then why are you telling me?"   
"Because your the only member of the crew I can trust."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Yondu was becoming more and more irritated at Aris, he knew she was keeping something from him. Aris wasn't eating, she was moody, sleeping late, frequent bathroom visits. He snuck into the bedroom, Aris was struggling with zipping her pants up, he noticed she was looking a little pudgy around the hips. He walked in the room, "need any help?" Aris jumped and turned around, "no, its okay, I got it." She zipped the pants up. "Its some silly Terran thing, I'm a little bloated, don't worry about it." She walked past him.   
Something was wrong.   
He found her whispering something to Kraglin, he sighed and rubbed her back, Yondu felt jealousy creep up.   
Kraglin and Aris spent a lot of time together over the next week, Yondu confronted her about it.   
Aris came out of the bathroom, and was startled by Yondu standing in the middle of the room arms crossed looking rather grumpy. "Hey." She said and stretched up to kiss him, he didn't kiss her back. "What's wrong?" She asked, it took everything in him not to yell. "What's wrong? Really? Ain't nothing wrong with me. You wanna explain to me what's wrong with you?" Aris bit her lip, "I told you, its just some silly Terran thing, I'm just a little under the weather." She moved to walk past him but he grabbed her arm, "don't lie to me darlin'." He whispered, she slipped out of his grasp and crossed her arms. "I'm not lying, I'm fine, I just don't feel my best."   
"Then what are you and Kraglin whispering about all the damn time?"   
"Kraglin is the closest thing to another human that I have on this ship! He understands some of my problems."   
"Problems? What problems?"   
She walked out of the room yelling, "human problems!" She stomped off to go find the Xandarian. 

 

"I don't know what to do, Krag." Aris said, putting her head in her hands. Kraglin sits down next to her. "You gotta tell him sooner or later. You're gonna show soon." Aris sighed, "I know. I want to tell him but I can't."   
Yondu walked in and sat down in his chair, he didn't look at Aris. He did this for days, he didn't speak to her because he would yell, he didn't sleep in the bed or eat next to her in the mess hall. He didn't want to be near her because he was afraid he'd explode in anger and hurt her in some way. But some things, are unavoidable. 

 

He waltzed into the bedroom. "You're gonna sit down and we're gonna talk about, whatever is going on with you." Aris was currently standing by the dresser with her hands on her hips and eyebrows raised, she wasn't in the mood for this. She wasn't wearing leather past her legs, currently she wore her red pants, a soft shirt and a red vest that wasn't done up. Yondu noticed that her breasts seemed slightly larger and more perky. Aris sighed, "what?" She didn't try hiding the irritability in her voice. Yondu crossed his arms. "You're gonna tell me what's wrong with you and you ain't gonna lie."   
Aris sighed and walked to the bed, sitting down. "Theres nothing wrong, I'm just going through bodily changes, every Terran does."   
"Bullshit, your to old for that, Peter stopped going through changes when he turned 20." Aris rolled her eyes. "Tell me."   
"No."   
"Aris."   
She held her ground, they stared each other down. Yondu sighed, "I cant do this." He said, Aris dropped the bad mood she was in. "What?"  
"This, this arguing, ignoring each other, secret-keeping." He paused, "I think we should take a break."   
Aris felt a pain in her heart, she felt tears prickle in her eyes, "well fine, if thats what you want."   
"But its not what I want, I wouldn't be suggesting this if you would just tell me what's wrong!" He stood up, his temper was starting to flare.   
"I can't. I don't know how, I don't know where to start-"  
"It's Kraglin."  
"What?"   
"You're sleeping with him aren't you?"  
"What?" She said, disgusted, "no! Yondu he's my friend! He's the only person on the crew other then you, that I can trust!"   
"Don't lie to me, darlin'!"  
"I ain't lying!"  
"Bullshit!"  
"Why are you being such a jackass?!"  
"Because you're keeping secrets from me!" He screamed. Aris stopped and let out a small squeak, she looked at Yondu darkly. "Maybe taking a break wouldn't be the worst thing."   
"Maybe."   
Aris ran her fingers through her hair, "I'll have my stuff out by the afternoon then. Move back into my quarters."  
Yondu didn't say anything, he just nodded. 

The crew was divided, some followed Yondu while others followed Aris and Kraglin was caught in the middle. The only thing stopping Yondu from killing the boy was their friendship and his friendship with Aris.   
Aris had just finished moving her things. She laid on her back with a hand on the small bump, it was small, you'd have to look at her from a certain angle to catch it. "I'm sorry." She whispered to it, "daddy has a temper." She smiled, "but then again, so does mummy. Sometimes we argue, but never like that." There was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"  
"Its Kraglin." Aris put her shirt down and walked over to the door, she smiled at the Xandarian. "Hey Krag."   
He hugged her. "I heard about what happened with Yondu."   
Aris smiled, "well, we weren't exactly quiet." He nodded to her belly, "how is it?"  
"I think he or she is good."  
Kraglin moved in and sat down on a chair. "You shoulda told him earlier, A." Aris sighed,   
"I know, I know I should have, I should probably wait for him to cool down before I mention the baby."   
"That would be best." He got up, "I'll come back to check on you later." Aris nodded and closed the door behind him. She walked into the bathroom and pulled back her shirt. She ran her hand over the small bump and sighed. She went about cleaning the room she hadn't been in for almost a year. She paused and stood up, there was a slight, ever so slight movement in her body, she paused but didn't feel anything else. Aris spent days alone in her room, she didn't see Yondu or hear from him.   
Kraglin knocked on her door. "We're stopping on Contraxia, you wanna get something to eat?"   
Aris nodded and dressed appropriately for the weather.   
They went and sat in the back of the Iron Lotus, in one of the small tables, Kraglin ordered then two of the same meals, a water for Aris because everything contained alcohol and something to drink for himself, when the food got there he gave Aris both plates, she raised a brow at him. "You're eating for two, A."   
She smiled and ate in quiet, she was distracted by the laugher and looked, Yondu had one of those cyborg whores sitting on his lap as he drank with his mates. Kraglin noticed too, "we can move." He said, Aris clenched her fists, "no he's a free man again, for now, he can do what he pleases."   
Yondu put his glass down and took the cyborg upstairs.   
Kraglin and Aris left shortly after that, they toon her ship back to the Eclector. Aris went straight to bed. When she woke up the crew was still gone. She sat down in the comfy chair she had, looking outside at the window at the planet below her, somehow she remembered her mothers voice, very faintly singing to her, she could make out some of the words, placing a hand on her bump she started to sing what she could remember. "Såri, råri, liten Sull, (sleep calmly, little song) haddø me ein pøse full. (If we had a bag full.)"  
Yondu went back on the ship before his men, letting them finish, he stopped in her doorway hearing her sing something in Norwegian, he just stood and listened.   
"løa og så låvin, (The shed and the barn.) stabburo og så kåvin (The larder house and the alcove.) Småe guta høggø ved, småe guta høggø ved. (Little boys chop wood, little boys chop wood) Småe jento draga te. (Little girls travel there.) Langt ova lio, langt ova lio. (High up the hillside, high up the hillside.)"  
When the song ended she just kept humming in the tune. Feeling someone standing there she turned around but the doorway was empty. She sighed and continued looking out the window. 

Yondu hated how much time Aris was spending with Kraglin and how close they seemed, he saw them sitting and laughing at the Iron Lotus, he thought having his way with one of those yellow whores would make him forget about her but her couldn't bring himself to touch the cyborg. When he heard her sing that song , it just seems to come so naturally, like it was embedded in her brain. He did notice how Aris seemed to be gaining weight in her middle but he pushed it off as a Terran thing, but she was still hiding something.


	18. Quick Note

I was thinking about writing a prequel story about Aris' life on Asgard, being raised by Loki and all that jazz, if it seems interesting let me know. :) -Cayla


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this chapter is kinda sad and I'm sorry if anyone is sensitive to the material in this chapter.

Aris reached her tenth week, and her pants wouldn't fit, "shit," she had to pin them closed. Humming to the life that was growing inside her, she picked up around her room. Kraglin walked in her room. "Hey." She said, he stood there and smiled at her, "you're looking round." He commented, she smiled, "shut up."   
"You coming down to Xandar today?" Aris shook her head, "no, I'm just gonna stay here." He nodded and walked out. Aris curled up in bed with a book, she fell asleep after a while. 

In the afternoon she was walking with Kraglin when she stopped, there was a wet feeling in her pants followed by intense cramping and sharp pains, she gasped and clung into the bar and Kraglin. "What? What is it?"   
Aris knew what was wrong, she was losing her baby.   
"I'm losing my child." She told him.   
"What do I do?" He asked, slightly panicking. "Get me to my room please."   
Kraglin turned around and started walking her back.   
Yondu turned down the hall when he heard Aris gasp, when he reached the hall she was using Kraglin as support and was holding her stomach. 

When he got her to her room she laid on the bed, "call Peter and Gamora." She mumbled, "what?" He asked.   
"Call. Peter. And. Gamora." She said through her teeth. Aris went into the bathroom to handle this properly, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking violently and her vision was blurred, she got through it. She felt numb and tired and the tears wouldn't stop, she changed into soft clothes and crawled back in bed, curling up in on herself. The door opened, "Aris?" Gamora asked, she walked over to the girl and sat on the bed. "What happened?"  
"I lost it." She whispered her voice dry and sore.   
"Lost what?"  
"My baby."   
Gamora was surprised that Aris didn't tell her sooner, she sighed and put a hand on Aris' back, she started to hum a Zehoberei lullaby, thinking that Aris didn't want to talk anymore so she let her cry.  
After a while Gamora spoke, "did he know?"   
Aris shook her head. "Should he know?" Aris thought for a moment and shook her head.   
It was silent for another 10 minutes. "You can stay here, all of you, for the night, I'm co-captain, I can grant these things." She gave a weak smile. "Do you want Peter?" Gamora asked. Aris nodded, "okay." Giving her shoulder one last rub she left the room. Gamora looked down at Peter, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Kraglin and even Yondu was standing there.   
"Peter." She said, he looked up and Gamora nodded towards Aris' room. She told him the situation.   
They switched places. When Peter sat down on the bed Aris sat up next to him, keeping her knees to her chest, he sighed and she put her head on his shoulder. "You okay?" She shook her head, he let it be silent for a moment before he started to sing softly, "Ooh-oo child Things are gonna get easier.  Ooh-oo child, things'll get brighter ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier. Ooh-oo child, things'll get brighter, some day, yeah we'll get it together and we'll get it all done some day.  When your head is much lighter some day, yeah, we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun, some day when the world is much brighter."   
She sat and listened to him sing. 

He left eventually, Aris didn't leave her room. Peter went downstairs with his hands in his pockets. "What's wrong with her?" Yondu asked, "you didn't know?"   
Yondu shook his head.   
"Peter." Gamora warned.   
"What?"  
"No."  
Yondu gave a frustrated grunt, "aw hell, would you both just tell me what's wrong with my girl up there?" He yelled.   
"I thought you two were on break?" Peter said.   
"We may be on break but shes still my girl." Yondu whistled and pointed his arrow at Peter. "Now you're gonna tell me what's wrong with her." He backed Peter up into a wall. Peter sighed, "she lost the baby dude, I thought you knew." Peter said, sincerely. Yondu blinked a few times and laughed nervously, "what baby?" Gamora put a hand on his shoulder, "Aris was pregnant Yondu."   
Yondu continued to laugh, not believing them. "Y'all are pulling my leg." He said.  
"No, Yondu, why would we make this up? Why would she make it up."   
"But, we were certain we couldn't-"   
Peter looked at Kraglin. "She told him, he knows everything." They turned to Kraglin, he looked like a scared little puppy. "Is it true Kraglin?" Yondu asked, "yes captain, she told me everything, she didn't want to tell you."   
Yondu looked at him confused, "why not?"   
"She feared that you didn't want a baby, that a Ravager lifestyle isn't for a child, she spent months trying to figure out how to tell you, she was afraid."   
"How far was she?"  
"She told me around three months."   
Yondu's guts twisted painfully, he pushed past Peter, "stupid girl." He muttered. He opened her door, her room was dark and she was curled up in bed, covered in blankets.   
Aris ignored the sudden light from her door opening. "Aris?" Yondu said, softly. He sat down on her bed, she didn't turn to look at him. He sighed and laid down with her, against her own wishes she found herself turning around towards Yondu, she put her head on his shoulder and curled up as small as she could. Yondu wrapped her up in his arms and she cried for what seemed like hours. When she calmed down he spoke, "why didn't you tell me?"  
"I didn't think...I didn't..." her voice trailed off, she let out a sob, and Yondu swore he never heard anything more heartbreaking.   
"A baby." He whispered. "I was gonna be a daddy."   
"A boy." She whispered.  
"Whats that?" Yondu asked.   
"I kept thinking the baby would be a boy, with beautiful blue skin and red eyes...he would have looked just like you." She whispered. "I would have named him Gunnar." Yondu shut his eyes tightly to stop himself from crying.   
"I still don't know what I did wrong." She said, Yondu held her tighter.   
"Nothing, you didn't do anything wrong, it wasn't your fault." He whispered, "it wasn't your fault." He kissed her head. "Its not your fault."  
He whispered sweet things until she fell asleep. 

Aris woke up in the morning, she thought it was morning, time works differently out here, sometimes not really at all. She got up and walked to the bathroom, she didn't look at herself, she didn't want to, she filled the bath with hot water and lavender oils, like she used too on Asgard, and got in the bath. She sat there, she didn't do much else, her world felt like it was on complete stand still. When she got out of the bath she looked down at the slight bits of blood floating in the water. She drained the tub, and wrapped up in a robe. When she opened the door to her room, her stuff was gone, she was confused to say the least, Yondu came back in the room, he pulled Aris to him and kissed her head. "Wheres my stuff?" She whispered.   
"You're moving back in with me, darlin'."   
She looked up at him. "You mean it?" He nodded.   
"I cant leave you alone, not now." He bent down and picked her up, carrying her back to their quarters.   
She changed into pyjamas and crawled back into bed.   
The crew didn't really understand what was happening to Aris and they didn't need too. He told them to do something and they did it, all they were told was Aris was feeling under the weather, some Terran illness.   
Yondu woke up Aris and took her to the front of the ship.   
"What are we doing?" She asked. Yondu nodded outside, towards cosmic dusts, half a dozen m-ships were waiting, "we're already in exile, nothing wrong with displaying the colours for my son." He said, fully believing what she said about it being a boy.   
Aris watched the colours both in awe and in sadness. When it was over she turned to Yondu, "thank you." She whispered. He pulled her up and kissed her gently. "Anything for my girl." They stood there for a while. 

 

Day by day Aris felt slightly better, she still didn't leave her room. But it was progress, she smiled more, started eating, sleeping less and on a regular schedule. She would laugh gently at Yondu when he would bring her little trinkets and objects he would find while on a heist or chasing down an intergalactic criminal to collect the bounty.   
Aris would tell him that, she's flattered but she doesn't need all of the gifts. "I know, I just like getting them for ya." He would say.   
The most current object was a pretty little ring with with diamonds and a emerald in the centre.   
She wore it every day.   
It was three months before Aris was ready to go back to work. She waltzed into the control room, fully dressed, she took a shaky breath before putting on a straight face. She walked down to where Yondu was, standing beside him.   
"Darlin'?"   
She smiled, "don't act so surprised, I couldn't stay in bed forever." She glanced at the ground, her lip quivered slightly. Yondu sighed and pulled her close to him. "You don't have to come back to work just yet, you don't have to." He said, Aris smiled softly, "no, I do, it's overdue." 

 

They made a few calls with Broker on Xandar to collect a ruin on Morag. When it was safe on the ship Yondu went down with a few others, leaving Kraglin to look after Aris.   
They sat in the mess hall for lunch, she picked at her food, not really hungry. She could hear men talking behind her, she listened in.   
"Woman, they bring nothing but trouble."  
"I heard she was pregnant."  
"It was probably Kraglin's."   
"Or Captain's."  
"Why would he impregnate...that?" One sneered, "he probably found out about the spawn growing in her womb and made her get rid of it."   
"Its a good thing too, that baby would have been all kinds of messed up."   
"Who's to say it was Kraglin's? It could have been any one of her Terran friends, we all know how much of a whore she is." They started laughing, in rage Aris got up and turned to them, "well hello there." They started, thunder rumbled throughout the ship, it grew windy, Aris looked down at her hands, lightning danced all around her fingers, she jumped on the men and grabbed them, electrocuting them to death.   
She walked out of the mess hall, it felt good to use her powers again, and strike fear into the hearts of those men. 

 

Yondu returned in the early evening, with another gift for Aris, it was a little blonde doll, Aris recognized where the doll came from, Asgard, she saw many little girls playing with them, she was never allowed to have one, her uncle said those were poor people toys and she only had the best.   
She took it from his hands and smiled up at him. The doll had crystal blue eyes, and wore a little light pink dress in Asgardian fashion.   
"Where are you finding these?" She asked, he smiled, showing her his teeth. "I don't know where Broker gets them but I saw this and thought of you immediately."   
Aris put her arms around his neck and he lifted her up off the ground. 

 

Later on that night, they were getting ready for bed, Aris finished buttoning her nightshirt, "I gotta ask." She said, Yondu turned to look at her, "yes?"  
"Did you ah, did you sleep with that cyborg prostitute?"   
Yondu shook his head, "no, I couldn't bring myself to do it."   
Aris gave him a small smile.   
"I guess its because I love you to much darlin'." He mumbled. Her ears caught what he said, she walked up to him. "I'm sorry, what was that?" She said, teasingly.   
"What was what?" He said, equally as teasing.   
"You said you loved me."  
"I did, I do love you." He pulled her to him. "What about you darlin'?"   
"I love you, too."   
He kissed her, after a moment he deepened the kiss and moved to the buttons of her nightshirt, she stopped him. "I'm not...I..."   
He picked her up and placed her on the bed, he turned off the lights and joined her. "I know, I understand, we'll take as much time as you need."   
"Maybe the crews right." She said with a sly smile. "You have gone soft."   
He growled playfully at her, but it just made her laugh.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Aris woke up before Yondu, as she usually does, she walked over to the dresser and looked over at him. Smiling, she got an idea, she looked around for her notebook and pastels, when she found them she sat down on the bed with her legs crossed, she started to draw Yondu, every detail of his face, right down to every eyelash. She took her time with the colour, mixing a light and dark blue to get the perfect shade, she used her pinky finger to apply it. When she was done she examined the portrait, it was perfect, as always. She waited for the pastels to set before closing her book and tucking it under the bed, so she knows where it is for next time. Its been almost six months since the miscarriage and things between Aris and Yondu were improving. Aris glanced over at the clock, she'd been sitting there for almost two and a half hours sighing she stretched and fell back in bed.   
Yondu started to wake up, he rolled over and was greeted by tiny feet. Smiling he got an idea, squirming up to her right ankle, he blew a raspberry, Aris squealed in surprise, jumping up into a sitting position, crossing her legs, Yondu was busy laughing his ass off. "Hey!"  
"What?"   
"Don't do that!"   
"Why? Did it tickle?"   
Aris shook her head quickly, "no that was just weird."   
Yondu sat up in bed, "are you sure it didn't tickle?"  
"Yes, it didn't tickle." She squealed, Yondu poked her hip. He was clearly amused, and kept poking at her, it changed to full on ticking, she wasn't ticklish in the ribs or the feet, but behind the knees.   
"Stop! Stop it!" She said, trying to get her legs away from the blue man. "I'm gonna pee my pants." She said laughing. She almost kicked him in the face, he stopped and placed a kiss to her calf, making her cheeks flush. "I think that's enough for the morning, we have work to do." Aris nodded in agreement, she sat up, giving him a kiss she went to get dressed, Yondu promptly watched her.   
Aris thought there was something bittersweet about the miscarriage, it hurt greatly but the experience was letting them grow as a couple, there were less barriers, and more opportunities to feel and explore each other, and they also made a notion of no more secrets.   
Aris let her sleep shirt fall to the floor, she had a bad habit of wearing no bra, she heard Yondu give a low growl, she looked over her shoulder and smirked at him. "Like what you see captain?" She teased, bending over to take off her sleep shorts.   
"Darlin', if you keep teasin' me, we ain't gonna get to work." She turned to face him fully, her breasts on display, "and would that be such a bad thing?" She said, slipping on her tank-top. She didn't see him move, he gripped her waist and pressed her body against his. He started to kiss her, but it wasn't soft and sweet, it was almost hungry and deprived. Smiling, she pounced on him, knocking him down on the bed, Yondu almost ripped the tank top off her body. 

 

Aris collapsed down on her pillow and stretched. Yondu was already in the bathroom. He walked out of the bathroom, he stopped to look at her, her hair a mess and her body exposed to him, she didn't bother covering up. She got up off the bed, kissing his shoulder quickly before going into the bathroom. 

 

Aris skipped over to her chair and sat down, she tucked her legs in. They talked about small things for a while before Aris seemed to hesitate about something. "You okay darlin'?" He asked, she snapped out of it and nodded. "Yes."   
"Tell me something else about yourself." He asked, "you have so many stories that sometimes I feel like I only scratched the surface, and we agreed no more secrets."  
Aris nodded, "when I was a girl, I had more power then you see now."  
"What changed?"  
"Fear." She paused, "my own mostly, I'm mortal, I'm not supposed to have so much power, you know with my dad it's different, he has the hammer but I only have my hands. I couldn't just create lightning and the occasional rain shower, I could create thunderstorms, ice storms, hail, freezing rain." She got excited but let herself calm down, "but one day I was showing off but someone said something mean to me and the rain turned, cold, the ground became ice and I, I killed a boy. It was accidental of course." She sighed, "Odin found out and forbade me from using anything other then what my father would not want, no more ice, but I can't fly like my father, which is mostly thanks to Mjölnir, but I can leap distances. My uncle tried to get me to open up, use all of my gifts, but I wouldn't and I will not."   
Yondu listened to her story and sighed, "how did the boy die?"   
"He slipped on the frozen ground and hit his head on a rock, I didn't know his name."   
"Oh Aris, I'm sorry."   
She smiled softly, she then started to lift her hand to her face, lightning danced on her hand. "Its a bit of a cliché isn't it, someone like me who was born somewhere, where its cold, to have powers centred around the cold." She flipped her hand over and it started to frost slightly. "However I cannot make it snow or make a storm involving snow, I cant make it cold, which is probably why I'm so warm."   
"Its not a cliché, it makes you unique."   
She turned to fece him. "Unique." She repeated. She thought about it for a second, "maybe I could learn to use it."   
Yondu sighed and proceeded to give his lap a pat. Aris went over to sit, Yondu snaked his arm around her waist. "Even still with all this power, I still prefer hand to hand combat." She said, moving to straddle him.   
"Eager are we, darlin'?" He smiled, stretching up to kiss her. "I thought I wore you out this morning, and last night." Aris smiled, "I recover quickly."   
Things were just getting heated when they were interrupted, the looked over at Oblo. Yondu frowned at the man, "you best have a good reason for disrupting us."  
"Broker is on the line, Captain."   
Aris sighed and got off of Yondu's lap, he followed her and Oblo followed them out.   
Broker was waiting on one of the monitors. He caught sight of Yondu right away, "ah, Yondu."   
Yondu stood there with his arms crossed. "What is it you want, Broker?"   
"Yes, yes, well recently its come to my attention that recently, there have been strange sort of artifact floating around and I want you to get it for me." He said, Aris stepped in front of Yondu, "and why would we do that?"   
"I'll pay you handsomely."  
Aris turned to her crewmen and boyfriend, and then back to Broker. "We can do that, what is it that we're looking for."   
"The helmet of Bor."   
Aris' smile faded and she looked at Broker seriously. "My great grandfather's helmet is safely locked away in the vault of Odin-"  
"But it isn't, it was stolen." Broker backed up and gave her body language that could only be described as one of a selfish brat. "And I want it."   
"How much are you prepared to pay us?"  
"400,000 units."  
"Double it."   
Broker looks surprised, "surely you cannot be serious."  
"Oh, I am serious, Broker that helmet is an artifact. Its of Asgard, its not some cheap little thing, its made from gold, if you want it, you have to double the price."   
She went to turn the monitor off, "no! No! Wait!" She took her hand away from the button. "I'll double it." She smiled sweetly at the man.  
"Thats what I like to hear."


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is kinda cute, fluffy and a little dorky.

They found the helmet of Bor on Vanaheim of all places and sold it to Broker. 

Aris was currently sorting through her things, she was looking for her mothers necklace when she came across a black bag, she opened it, inside was a blue dress, her favourite dress from Asgard, something she couldn't leave behind. The dress was a midnight blue lamé sheath dress that went down to the floor, with a georgette cape with silk embroidery on the neckline. Aris walked over to the bed and sat down, she held the dress in her hands and sighed. Biting her lip she stood up and stood in front of the mirror, she held the dress up to her body. Shaking her head she walked away. "No, no." She whispered and went to put it away but hesitated, "I guess it couldn't hurt..."   
Undressing from her Ravager uniform she slipped the dress on, the dress felt foreign on her frame, and despite it being literal years, it still fit her flawlessly.   
She felt like she was 19 years old again, reading in the library with her uncle, walking around the palace with her handmaidens. She remembered the banquets Odin would sometimes hold on special occasions, recalling a piano piece she began to almost waltz by herself around the room, humming the tune.   
She wasn't paying attention and bumped into something hard, she turned around and came face to face with Yondu. She squealed and backed away.   
Yondu's amused expression faded, he looked at her, completely spellbound. "I, wow." He said, he gave her a lazy smile, after a minute Aris waved a hand in front of his face. "Yondu? Hello?"   
He blinked, "Aris, have I ever told you how pretty you look in blue?" He asked, Aris smiled and crossed her arms. "No, because I usually always wear red."   
"Is there any particular reason why you're wearing a dress darlin'?" He asked, Aris shrugged, "I forgot I had it, I was looking for my mothers necklace, which I still haven't found." She bit her lip, "it's actually been years since I've worn something like this, I remember when I first wore it too, I got it for my 19th birthday from my uncle, and I wore it first at a banquet Odin held, I remember the food and the music and the very handsy soldiers." She chuckled.   
"Whats the music like on Asgard?" Yondu asked, he always enjoyed hearing about her life. Aris thought for a moment, "classical mostly, I learned how to play the harp as a child, drums are common too, strings, among other things."   
"What's a harp?" He asked, Aris laughed, "a harp is a string instrument that's roughly triangular shaped, and they're normally large and usually you sit down while you play it, and to play it you use your fingers."   
Yondu ran his hands down her arms, the silk of the attached cape brushed his knuckles, he smiled, "you look like a princess." He said and Aris moved her head to the side, "thats kind of the point, but." She moved them into the starting position for a waltz. "I'm not a princess."   
"What are you doin'?"   
"Dance with me." She said.   
"I don't know how to do them funny dances."  
"I'll teach you."   
Aris taught him the simple steps and he tried taking lead, feeling a bit cheeky, his hand drifted behind her cape and grabbed her ass, she squealed and stopped dancing. "Yondu!" He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. "Wait, wait, should I take off the dress?" She asked.   
"If you don't want it ripped." He put her down and watched her strip out of it, she moved the cape aside and unzipped, she stepped out of the dress, she bent down to pick it up, Yondu grabbed her waist. She giggled when he playfully threw her down on the bed. He stared at her, her blonde hair was falling out of the braid, the only thing left to the imagination was her womanhood. Stretching she rolled onto her stomach and pushed her ass up in the air. "Are you just gonna stare at me?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him, Yondu grinned and rubbed her ass before giving it a smack. "Oo so forceful." She teased. He nearly pounced on her, she laughed. 

 

Aris was currently tangled up in the sheets, she stretched her back. She looked over at Yondu and rolled onto her side to look at him. "You know I've always wondered something." She said. He hummed softly giving her his full attention, "do all centaurians speak English or do you have a language? Because sometimes when you speak your English gives out, not to say that its not good English, sometimes I struggle with English a little, but I-"   
Yondu cut her off, "English hurts my throat sometimes so thats why it slacks."   
"So you have a language?" He nodded, "show me."   
Yondu proceeded to speak in his native tongue, creating various grunts, chirps and whistles. Aris squealed excitedly and clapped her hands. He laughed.  
"What did you say?"   
"I said, I love you."   
Aris blushed and whispered, "jeg elsker deg også. (I love you too.)"   
She paused, "Jeg har praktisert norsk, selv om det kommer mer naturlig for meg da engelsk. (I've been practicing Norwegian, though it comes more naturally to me then English.)"   
"Does Earth have any other languages?" He asked, she nodded, "many but English is commonly spoke among almost everyone in the world."   
"What are the most common?"  
"Spanish, French, Mandarin, German, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Italian, Japanese, among many others."   
"What do you speak on Asgard?"   
She laughed, "English." She moved to stare at the ceiling, "I used to read stories in old norse when I was a child, well I wasn't really reading them as much as looking at the pictures." She chuckled, "the humans think we're gods."   
"Is that why Peter thought you were so amazing from the start."   
"I guess, but Asgardians are not immortal though my grandfather Odin is literally almost 5,000 years old."   
Yondu whistled. He thought for a moment, "what if you teach me Nor-wee-gin and I teach you my language." Aris propped up on her elbows and raised an eyebrow at the notion, amused. "And what if I cant teach you?"   
Yondu sat up. "What? You wanna make a bet outta this?" She nodded, "alright, if you cant teach me Nor-wee-gin, then I'll let you be captain for a week, total control."   
"And if you can't teach me you're language I'll be your slave for an entire day."   
"You got yourself a deal, darlin'." 

 

In the morning they started with Norwegian, Aris was fully convinced that this would be amusing.   
"Okay we're gonna start with the basics."   
"Alright."   
Aris was feeling giddy but she had to keep calm. "Hei." She said.   
"Hei." He repeated but he was off, Aris shook her head, "its not pronounced with an e, its more of an a sound, try again."   
"Hei." He repeated, Aris smiled, "better, hei means hello."   
"But hello has a e in it." She held her hand up, "don't question it, lets move on, Hva heter du?"   
"Hva heter du?" Aris snorted, his accent and off pronunciation was highly entertaining. "Okay, okay, its good but your still off on the pronunciation, Hva is just va, he-ter du. Try again."   
"Hva heter du?"   
"Aris." She said, Yondu blinked.   
"What?"   
She was trying to contain her laughter. "Well you asked me what my name was so I told you."   
"Are you being cheeky with me?"   
"Maybe a little."   
They went through the basics for a good few hours. Yondu was able to say a full sentence correctly, "Hei, jeg heter Yondu, hyggelig å møte deg." Aris clapped her hands excitedly.  
"Why are there so many vowels?"   
Aris shrugged.   
They tried his language next but every time there was a chirp Aris would lose it, she'd be rolling on the ground laughing, strictly because she fell out of her chair.   
"Aris..."  
"'M sorry, 'm sorry." She calmed down and they tried again, Aris was already a strong whistler so it wasn't the worst thing. She adapted to the language quickly which made Yondu nervous, he didn't want to lose the bet. 

 

Aris joined a group on a heist on Badoon, it was going well until the police showed up at and started to chase them. "Now what?" Scrote yelled to Aris while they ran. Feeling a surge of confidence she stopped running and turned around, she started to wave her hands creating a strong wind to separate them from the police squad but it went terribly wrong, the wind formed a tornado, it was violent and large, Aris heard the screams that came from the nearby town, the sound of destruction, she looked at what she had created, peoples homes were being torn apart, they were being crushed by falling debris. Horuz grabbed her arm, "we gotta go." He pulled her to his M-ship. 

Aris sat in the back with her knees to her chest, she had been crying the whole way. Hearing footsteps she looked up and ran her fingers through her hair, Tullk handed her a drink of some brown alcohol.   
"Thank you." She wasted no time drinking it, she cleared her throat. He sat down beside her.   
"You feel bad about what you did don't you?"   
She nodded, "yeah, I do."   
"Well don't, I mean you got them off our back and let us get away, I understand there were kids n stuff but we got what we came for and didn't get caught, Captain would've been mad if we got caught." He walked away. 

When they landed on the Eclector Aris left Horuz's ship and went into her own.   
She went into the back and turned her music on, she curled up and put her chin on her knees. 

 

The crew on the other hand were revelling in the bounty. Yondu on the other hand didn't see Aris, he walked up to Oblo and Horuz who were laughing together. "Have you two seen Aris?" He asked, Oblo shook his head. "No I haven't seen her since Badoon."   
Yondu dragged the two along with him to look for Aris but couldn't find her, growling he grabbed Horuz by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. "Hey! Hey!"   
Yondu moved his jacket so he could see the arrow. "If you left my girl on Badoon I swear!" He snarled.   
"She's probably still on my ship!" Horuz said. Yondu let him go and they went to where they kept the M-ships. But Horuz's was empty. "She's not there captain."   
Yondu was ready to use his arrow when he heard music, it was faint from where they were standing but it got louder as they got closer, soon Yondu was standing outside of Aris' ship Uvær. "Wait here." He told Oblo and Horuz.   
Yondu boarded and found Aris sitting by the docking station that Peter and Rocket put in for her ipod. He sat down beside her. "Aris, baby, what are you doin' all cooped up in here, you're missin' the fun."   
Aris looked up with red eyes, "I killed people Yondu and not just men, woman and children, and I could hear the screams and the sounds of the destruction-"  
"What did you do?"   
"I tried to do a simple strong wind to get the police squad off our back but I lost control, it turned into a tornado and just ripped into a town like it was...like it was paper." She put her head on her knees. Yondu rubbed her back, "darlin', it was an accident, its not your fault, come 'ere."   
He pulled her onto his lap and she stared at her hands, he took them in his, Aris loved how warm they were and how rough, they were much bigger then her own. They sat and listened to the music. "What's this song called?" He asked after a minute.   
"Uhh, O Children by...Nick Cage-Cave," she corrected herself, "and the Bad Seed."   
Yondu pulled her off her feet he got into the position for a waltz but they swayed around the room, Aris looked up at him with sad eyes but when he gave her a spin she smiled. The dance picked up the pace as the song picked up, he even started to dip their hands making her laugh.   
When the song was coming to a close she put her head on his chest. "Its not you're fault." He said. "Jeg elsker deg. (I love you.)" He said in broken Norwegian, Aris smiled, "jeg elsker deg også. (I love you too.)"


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when I get an idea and just roll with it.

After a while they regrouped with Horuz and Oblo and went back to the sort of party they were holding. By the time they got back half the crew was drunk and the other half were getting there. Yondu sat down and pulled Aris onto his lap. Kraglin handed her a drink, "hey A, I heard what happened, are you okay?" She nodded, "yeah, yeah I'm okay."   
Yondu couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy whenever Kraglin and Aris spoke, especially when she smiled at him, he tightened his grip on her thigh, making her squirm. Kraglin felt uncomfortable, he mumbled bye and left. Aris huffed and turned to Yondu, "really?"   
"What?"  
"He's my friend."   
"I know...I just-"  
"You're jealous."  
"What? Darlin' I ain't jealous."   
Aris smiled widely, "you are!" She kissed his cheek. "You're so jealous."   
"I'm territorial."   
"Uh-huh." She said kissing his cheek again. "Tell yourself what you want." She pretended to examine him. "I can almost see your skin turning green." She joked.   
"Girl, I swear if you don't stop I will-"  
"You'll what? You'll spank me?"   
Yondu smirked and Aris instantly regretted her words. He stood up and slung Aris over his shoulder, she sighed, the crew started whooping and cheering him on. "Kraglin! You're in charge until I get back!" He left the room.   
"Put me down." She said, trying to come across as annoyed but she couldn't help but smile.

 

Aris tried to find her way in the dark of the bedroom, Yondu was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him, he'd be grumpy all day and Aris wasn't in the mood for that, unfortunately she bumped into something, she swore quietly but felt something cold touch her foot, she bent down and picked it up. She took it to the window to try to see it better by using the stars as a light source, it was her mothers necklace, but the shield pendant open. There was a folded piece of paper inside, she took it out, on the front was written 'Thyra (pronounced Tee-rah :) ) Aris Ruud.' Aris looked around the room nervously and opened the letter and began to read. 'Dear Thyra, by now you should be 18 years old,' "try 24." she smiled and continued reading, 'and living your best life as the woman I knew you were destined to be. But by the time you open your eyes I shall be gone, the same happened to my mother when I was born. By the time I am in heaven your father should have already come to take you home, where you will live among your people in Asgard where you belong.   
I met your father while working at a tavern in Tromsø, he was so kind and strong and I have no doubt in my mind that you will be just like him my little Uvær. I am sad that I will not see you grow up, find the love of your life, like your father was mine.' She looked over at Yondu's sleeping body and smiled softly, turning back to the letter. 'Inside the pendant, wrapped in cloth was my mothers engagement ring, that you're father is to give the man you choose to marry, to give you.' She folded the letter momentarily and looked inside the pendant, the cloth was still there, she took out the cloth and unwrapped the ring, she gasped softly, it was beautiful the band was gold with diamonds along the outside and in the centre was a marquise diamond, the band connects to the top and bottom of the diamond. She held it up to look at it better, but her other ring caught her attention, the emerald ring Yondu had gotten her was currently on her left thumb. Aris bit her lip and looked back at her grandmothers ring, it was too beautiful to put back and besides Yondu wouldn't want to get married anyway, Aris was sure of it, so, she slipped the ring on her ring finger, the same hand as her emerald ring. She turned back to the letter. "I know you'll live a happy and fulfilled life my Uvær, full of light and love and maybe a few little ones if you're lucky. Not a day will go by that I won't think of you. Sincerely, mother.' Aris felt her eyes welling up with tears, she looked up and took a few breaths before putting the necklace and letter on the table, she walked sluggishly to the bed and laid down. 

Yondu woke up before Aris, which was a first and he felt mildly concerned, Aris was always a early bird. He got up quietly, trying not to disturb her. On the walk to the bathroom he saw the open pendant and the a folded piece of paper on the front was his girls name but he raised an eyebrow at it, he turned to the sleeping blonde, "Thyra huh?" his curiosity got the better of him and he read the letter. He got to the part about the ring and he felt his heart leap in his chest, he never talked about marriage and he didn't see the point, 'why would Aris want to marry an old Ravager like himself?' Was something he thought occasionally.  
When he was done with the letter he put it down on the table and got ready for the day.   
By late morning Aris woke up and took a shower, she dressed and put her hair in her usual french braid and went to find Yondu.   
She snuck up behind him and put her hands over his eyes. "Guess who?" She said, trying to disguise her voice. "Hm, Kraglin?"  
"No."  
"Oblo?"  
"No." Aris was smiling widely.   
"Taserface?"  
"Ew, god, no."   
A smirk crossed his face, "Thyra." He said, Aris froze, how did he know that name? But she remembered she left the letter on the table. Yondu turned around and took her hands, his thumb brushed over her grandmothers engagement ring, he looked down at it and frowned slightly, she saw his frown and put her hands behind her back. "Why are you wearing it?"  
Aris shrugged.   
"Ain't I supposed to give it to you? Thats why your mother put it there."  
"You read the letter?"   
"I was curious."  
"Yondu thats my letter." She complained.   
"Baby I'm sorry, I was just curious, lets not argue about it." She sighed, "yes, your right its not worth arguing about, and I'm wearing it because I know that marriage isn't one of your interests and I couldn't let it sit in that cloth anymore."   
"How do you know it ain't in my interests?"   
"Because I know you."   
"You wouldn't want to marry an old man like me anyhow."   
Aris sighed and leaned against his side, wrapping her arms around his torso, in response he put his arm around her shoulders. "You're not old, you're mature, look at my dad, he's 1,060, you're hardly old."   
He looked down at her and smiled. It was silent for a minute and a thought crossed Yondu's mind, "was there anyone else?" He asked, Aris blinked and looked up at him. "What?"   
"Was there someone else, before me?"   
Aris thought for a minute and answered. "There was a boy, that I was betrothed to, his name was Borno."  
"What happened to this Borno?" Yondu asked slightly jealous.  
"You don't have to worry, he uh, died." She sighed, "there was a situation down on Nidavellir and the company I was in was sent to deal with it, he was stabbed and bled to death before we could get him to Asgard."  
"Oh, I'm sorry."   
"Don't be, he was a prick."   
Yondu snorted.  
"It was arraigned anyway, Odin thought the blacksmiths boy would be a good fit for me but he turned out to be a sexist pig, he said when we were married that I would give up a life of fighting and adventure and I would become housewife, cook his meals, have his children." Aris sighed, "I was almost glad that he died."   
Yondu smiled, "I cant see you as some little housewife."   
She smiled, "Sif would joke that I was born for a nomadic life, I was never able to stay in one place for too long, I've always wanted to be somewhere. When I was a child, Sif and I would sleep in various rooms in the palace, pretend we were camping and when it would be nice enough we would actually go camping, I looked up to her." She paused and changed the subject, "so, what are we doing today, captain?"   
"Well today I thought we'd go to Knowhere."   
"Any particular reason why?"   
"Fuel, the men in the engine room say were almost out."   
Aris nodded. "Knowhere it is, so, shall we continue our lessons today? Should we start with Norwegian or Centaurian?"   
"Norwegian."   
They sat down and managed to have a small conversation. Aris taught him more complex words phrases and the like, and Yondu tried his best to listen but he thought she sounded so beautiful speaking her language.  
"Yondu." She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, he snapped back from an apparent daydream.  
"Are you bored?"  
"No, darlin', not at all."   
She smiled, "good, now." She said something, "repeat what I said."   
Yondu tried his best, but she sighed, "here, here lets fix your vowels, okay?" Yondu nodded. 

When Aris was pleased on his progress they switched to his tongue, Aris learned quickly, sometimes she'd get things mixed up making Yondu laugh at her and correct her.

 

They took Aris' M-ship into Knowhere and the crew followed, half went to go stock up on fuel and supplies and others including Aris and Yondu went into the Boot of Jemiah, and since they were Ravagers there was no waiting in line.   
Once inside Yondu got them something to drink, a sweet alcohol that burned when it went down your throat.   
He turned to the waitress and told her to keep them coming, Aris was fascinated by the Orloni fights Aris turned to Yondu. "I wanna bet on that one." She said, pointing to the small and skinny Orloni. "Are you nuts?" He asked, Aris nodded and sipped her drink. "I'm thinking about speed here, babe."   
Yondu sighed and bet 200 units on the small creature and to his surprise it survived the F'saki. They were paid and watched the fights, not paying attention to their drink count.   
Half way through the evening they were sitting at a table, Aris was thrown over his lap and she nuzzled into his neck.   
"We should get married." He slurred, she looked up at him, giving a funny look. "No, no, we should. I mean you're already, already wearing a ring, all we gotta do is find a guy and sign some papers."   
She took his hand and examined it, "but you'd need a ring too." She said, furrowing her brows. Yondu looked at his own hand and smiled, "you're right, you're absolutely right, you beautiful, beautiful woman." He started to kiss her, it was actually quite messy.  
"Lets get married." She said, they convinced Kraglin to be a witness and they found a guy on Knowhere, they weren't sure if he was licensed or not but they didn't care. They had a little ceremony, and signed the marriage certificate. Kraglin stood there the entire time shaking his head, he had managed to stay sober.   
He drove them back to the Eclector, once the were inside their room they celebrated properly. 

 

In the morning Aris woke up and groaned, her head was pounding and she felt sick. She got up and didn't turn on any lights, she walked to the bathroom and washed her face, she looked at herself in the mirror, she looked like hell, she had dark circles and her eyes were red, her hair alone would take good while to brush, so she did, when it was braided she walked back to bed, she laid on her stomach and put her pillow over her head.   
When Yondu opened his eyes not long after he felt something cold and metallic on his finger, groaning he sat up and rubbed his face, he looked over at Aris who was asleep face down in bed. He smiled and went to wake her but stopped, on his hand was a silver ring, a wedding ring to be exact. Yondu panicked a little, he shook Aris awake gently. "Aris."  
She moaned.   
"Aris."  
"No."  
"Aris wake up, this is important."   
She sighed and looked up to see him, "what?" He showed her his hand, Aris blinked and looked his hand over, "is that?"  
He nodded.   
"Are we?"  
Again, he nodded.   
Aris looked at her own hand, under her grandmothers engagement ring was the same silver band. "So I guess we're..."  
"Good morning, Mrs. Udonta." Yondu said.   
"Shit."


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Chapter contains smut.

"So...I'm your...we're..."   
"I guess you're stuck with me forever darlin'."   
Aris fell back against the pillows. "We're married." She whispered. Yondu laid back down, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer until her back was against his front. "Its still early, we don't have to go anywhere yet." He whispered, tugging on her sleep bottoms. Aris smirked and helped him tug them off.

 

Yondu was standing by the window, he didn't bother putting a shirt on, they were flying by a sun star, Aris was standing behind him and started tracing the scars on his back with her fingers. He turned around and smiled at her, Yondu absolutely adored the way the light of the suns appeared to make her hair glow, and he could see every shade of blue in her eyes. Her brows furrowed, "whats wrong?" He asked, Aris shrugged, "I'm just feelin' a little bloated thats all." She reached up and touched his prosthetic piece, "I never asked, but what happened to your crest?" He sighed and turned towards the window. "Yondu?"   
"How would you know about that?"  
"I read about your people on that new data pad you got me."   
Yondu smiled softly.   
"When I was a slave the uh, Kree took it from me."   
"Oh, baby I'm so sorry, did they...did they give you?"  
"The scars on my back?" She nodded, "yeah they did, but don't be sad, doll."   
She sighed and ran her thumb along a long scar across his abdomen. "What was this from?" She looked up at him and could have sworn she saw him blush, "my people are uh, we're marsupials." He closed his eyes, Aris snorted and smiled at him, "like kangaroos." She said, Yondu looked confused, "kangaroos?"   
"Their marsupial animals on Terra, the females carries her baby in a pouch." Yondu was intrigued, she continued, "humans made something similar called the baby pouch or a kango pouch or simply a carrier, we also invented this thing called a stroller thats like a cart to push your baby in."   
Yondu started laughing. Aris kissed his chest and left to use the bathroom.

 

The crew saw Aris differently now, she was the captains wife, she wasn't just the co-captain and his girl, the crewmen who hated her, seemed to hate her even more since they knew they couldn't get rid of her.   
Aris sat in her chair reading something on her data pad, she was waiting for Gamora to call. She heard a beep and looked up seeing Peters face under the words 'incoming call.' Trying to contain her excitement she answered, Gamora stood there with her arms crossed, baby Groot was sitting on her shoulder. "Yes? What is it?"   
Aris was smiling "guess what?" She said.   
"You're pregnant again?" Gamora guessed, Aris blinked.  
"What? No-"  
"Well I just thought, since it happened before."   
"No, Gamora I'm not pregnant again."  
"Then what is it?"   
Aris took a breath. "I got married." She said, before Gamora could say anything Peter bumped his way into view. "What? You and Yondu? You both?"  
Aris rolled her eyes and smiled, she held up her hand to show him her wedding bands. Peter looked like he was gonna pass out or scream.   
"When did this happen?"  
"Last night."  
"Last night! What-"  
"We got way to intoxicated and it just happened."  
Gamora pushed Peter out of the way, "and how does he feel about it? Because from where I'm standing you look very happy."  
Aris smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "He was shocked at first, understandably, and so was I but he's warming up to the idea, he's even referred to me as Mrs. Udonta a few times today."   
"Aw." Gamora cooed.   
Peter was still in shock. "Aris, he's like my dad."  
Aris raised her eyebrows at him, "Peter I was gonna have his baby not to long ago if you forgotten."   
"I know but, now you're stuck with that blue idiot, forever."   
Aris shrugged, "I don't see a downside."   
"I am Groot?" Groot asked, Aris sighed, "no, Groot."   
"What did he say?" Peter asked.  
"He asked me if you had to start calling me mom because you said Yondu was like your dad."   
"Who's calling who mom?" Yondu asked, walking in the room. He grabbed Aris by the waist. He turned to face Peter and winked.   
Aris just shook her head and smiled. 

 

Aris was feeling quite crampy, she told Kraglin that she was gonna go lay down. She found her heating pad. When she waited for it to get hot enough she dug through the closet and pulled out some of the candy she brought home from earth and her data pad. She even had a small collection of red wine.     
After a good twenty minutes she was in her pjs, curled up in bed, she bit into a gummy worm and turned the page on her alien romance.   
Yondu searched the ship for his wife and couldn't find her, eventually he went to their room. Aris was curled up in bed, a glass of wine in one hand, her data pad in her other hand, on her stomach she had a heating pad and a bag of gummy worms beside it. He sat down beside her, "whatcha doing?" He asked, she smiled, "things." She took a sip of her wine. Yondu picked up the wine bottle. "Things?" He paused and thought about it, "oh."   
She laughed, Yondu sniffed the wine, it smelled pleasant enough, he took a sip but started coughing. "Ack, bitter." Aris giggled and took the bottle from him.   
"We're going down to Xandar to sell something to Broker, do you want to come?"   
Aris thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "I think I'm gonna stay here, I don't get alone time often."  
Yondu nodded, he kissed her temple and left the room, Aris was left smiling like an idiot. Yondu may be a hardass towards his crew but he was soft around Aris and since they married he's been even more affectionate and frankly Aris didn't know how to deal with it sometimes, shes done almost nothing but smile all day, she didn't think Yondu would take to married life. 

When the crew was gone she went down to Uvær and took her ipod, she got it hooked up to the overhead speaker system, she put the music on shuffle and danced around the ship. 

 

Yondu mainly took the crew to Xandar to let them stretch their legs and relax, Yondu on the other hand went to visit Broker with Kraglin, he looked at all the objects and turned to Kraglin, "what do you think she'd like?" He asked, Kraglin had no idea, "what about these?" He said, pointing to a pair of ear cuffs, Yondu smiled, "they're perfect." He whistled to get Brokers attention, "yes?"  
"I wanna buy these." 

 

Aris walked into the kitchen, she made herself a sandwich and walked back to the control room, she sat in the pilots chair and looked down on Xandar.  
Bored she decided to do Yondu's laundry, half of his clothes needed to be washed twice.   
She held the basket on her hip and walked back to their room, she was putting the laundry away when she heard noise flood the ship, she sighed, her quiet time was over. Yondu walked into the bedroom, Aris put the basket down and went over to kiss him. "Hey, how'd it go? How much did we make?"   
Yondu smiled at his wife, 'wife.' It still sounded foreign in his mind, he tucked her hair behind her ear to look at it. "Don't worry about that." Aris smiled, she touched his hand and went back to putting his stuff away. "I have something for you." He said.   
"Oh yeah?"   
"Yup."  
Aris turned around, "what is it?" Yondu reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. She opened it and gasped, she looked up at Yondu in disbelief, "Yondu..." she whispered, inside the box were the ear cuffs he saw at Brokers shop, they were solid gold, three roses adorn the detailed cuff, and vine tendrils extend along the curvature of the ear. She took one from the box to hold it up. "These are beautiful, whats the occasion?" She whispered. Yondu walked over to her and rubbed her arms, "you're my wife, I ain't need an occasion to spoil you."   
Aris took the box to the bathroom, looking in the mirror she put them on, she went back out and jumped on Yondu, she crossed her legs around his torso and kissed him. Yondu fell back onto the bed. She broke the kiss after a while, "I feel bad now, I didn't get you anything." She said, pouting, he smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears to see the cuffs. "You married me, I ain't need anything else from you."   
Aris smiled wickedly, "actually there is something I can give you."   
Yondu raised his eyebrow, curious.   
Aris bit her lip and squealed, she got off Yondu and kneeled between his legs, she undid his belt and took off his pants.  
"Aris-"  
She ignored him, she grabbed his member in her hand and started to pump it in her hand. She smiled when a groan escaped her lips, she felt the all to familiar ache in her womanhood but she ignored it, this was about making her husband feel good, not herself. When he was hard enough she took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the head she moved up and down in a slow pace, pumping his length in her hand. Yondu bucked his hips and she quickened the pace.   
Yondu ran his fingers through her hair and held it tightly making her whimper. He started moving her head in the speed he wanted, Aris gripped his thighs with her hands, he let her up to breathe, she gasped and licked the saliva off her lips before going down on him again. She could feel him tense up and she smiled against him, she let him go with a 'pop' of her mouth and smirking when she heard him whimper, she moved down and began to lick and suck his balls, Yondu moaned, running his fingers through her hair, "oh fuck." He whispered. Aris licked up his shaft and started to suck again, Yondu groaned, "that's it." He gave her hair a pet, "good girl." Yondu could feel himself getting close, when he felt Aris apply pressure to the head of his cock with her tongue he let go, cumming in her mouth, he let out a whimper when he felt her swallow his load.   
She let him go and sat back, Yondu tilted her head up, "did you get it all?" He asked, she opened her mouth to show him, "good girl." Aris brought herself up to her knees and kissed his lips.   
Yondu picked her up and placed her on the bed without breaking the kiss, Aris felt like she was on fire, she sighed when he started to unzip her jumpsuit. Yondu kissed down the valley of her breasts and down her torso he stopped right above her womanhood making Aris whimper. He helped her take off the jumpsuit and underwear, Aris helped him take off what remained of his own clothes.   
He kissed her before turning his attention to her breasts, he held her left one in his hands and kissed around her nipple on her right one, before taking it in his mouth. Yondu knew all of Aris' bodily secrets and he loved to make her squirm and mewl under him.   
He gave her left breast attention and his free hand traveled down her navel and cupped her womanhood, Aris moaned at how warm his hand was, he separated her folds with his finger and circled her clit. He looked up at her smiling against her breast when her mouth parted into a pretty little o. He applied more pressure and she squirmed, when she was wet enough he spread her juices and slipped a finger inside and moved it in and out, not to slow but not to fast. Aris moved her hips to the speed of his finger, urging him to go faster, he added another finger and sped up, he moved up from her breast and captured her moans in his mouth.   
She whimpered when he removed his fingers. "On all fours, head on the bed." He commanded, "yes captain." She got in the position he desired. Yondu got on his knees and rubbed her ass before giving her a smack, Aris jolted, she wriggled her ass, wanting another, he obliged, smacking her again and again and again, until her ass was red, Aris had to bite the sheets to keep herself from crying out. Yondu ran a finger along her folds, she pushed herself on his finger, hoping entry so she could get some relief, when he wouldn't yield she took to begging. "Please."  
"Please what doll?" Yondu whispered, Yondu ran his hand along his erection, "you want my cock? Is that what you want? To be fucked by your captain?"  
Aris nodded.   
"I can't hear you."  
"Yes." She whimpered.   
"Yes what?" He drew circles around her opening.   
"Yes I want your cock, baby please! Please I need it."   
Yondu smiled and gave her a smack on her ass. He lined up with her entrance and pushed inside. He didn't start gentle, Aris moaned with every snap of his hips. Yondu saw how quickly Aris seemed to fall apart, how she'd mumble and moan out incoherent sentences. Yondu didn't stop as he sucked on his pointer finger and pushed it in her ass, "shit." She rasped, and pushed up against his finger. Taking the hint he pulled out of her womanhood, his member was covered in enough of her juices that he didn't need lubrication, he pushed inside her ass slowly, to not hurt her, Aris licked her lips and moaned clutching the sheets, she pushed against him and he paused and let her take the lead, she moved along his member slowly, Yondu had enough and pushed her head down, he gripped her hips roughly with a growl and began to pound her ass, making her cry out.   
Aris started to stimulate her own clit, he could tell she was close. "Thats it, there ya go, come on doll, cum for me." He groaned out, she couldn't take it anymore and she came, she felt it drip all over her hand and the back of her thighs. "Good girl," he said with a grunt.   
Yondu tensed and came in her ass shortly after. He let himself catch his breath before pulling out slowly, he watched his cum drip down her ass. Aris moaned, satisfied and let herself slip down onto the bed, Yondu laid down beside her and pulled her in his arms. "I love you." He whispered, Aris turned her head to kiss him and they laid there until they fell asleep.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know things have been kinda fluffy but I want to focus a bit on her day to day life before doing anything action packed, so I apologize if its a little boring.

Aris woke up in the morning and Yondu wasn't there, she sighed and got ready for the day, but she took extra precautions to stay dry, they don't exactly have tampons in space.   
Aris found Yondu piloting the ship, she sighed and curled up in his lap, Aris' brows furrowed and she curled up on his lap, tighter. He put the Eclector in autopilot and wrapped his arms around her.   
"What's wrong?"  
"Everything hurts."   
"I'm sorry, was I too rough last night?" He grinned, flashing his teeth, Aris smacked his shoulder playfully.   
"No, woman issues."   
"Oh." Yondu peppered her face with kisses, he rubbed his stubble over her cheek, making her squirm. "Is there anything I can get you?"   
Aris shook her head and snuggled closer to him, she turned towards the window, they passed by a little blue planet, feeling curious she turned back towards her husband. "Have you ever thought about returning to Centauri?" She asked, she felt him tense up at her question. "I'm sorry, I was just curious, its just you always ask questions about me and sometimes I feel like I don't know everything about you, and I'd like to, I know about your people and culture but we're married remember? For better or for worse." Yondu sighed and kissed her head, "I know you're curious darlin', its just hard."   
"I know."   
He cleared his throat, "without my...fin, I can't go back, its disgraceful in a way not to have it, and since mine got cut off." He paused, Aris touched his face.   
"Its okay, I understand, what tribe were you in? Like where did they live?"   
"If I remember correctly, the mountains."   
"The mountains." Aris mused, she got an idea about a little game people play on earth, well it wasn't really a game but she thought to. "Do you remember your birthday?" She asked, Yondu looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "No."   
"Are you sure?"   
"Why are you so curious darlin'?"   
"Well on earth they do this thing where they have something called zodiac signs and horoscopes and each sign is a different constellation of stars, for example I was born on May 24th, which," she pulls out her data pad. "Puts me under Gemini." She showed him the screen, the constellation looked like two people dancing. "Some humans also think that your sign effects your personality, Gemini are said to be a curious and intellectual, they value communication and logical thought, among other things." She said, her nose twitching. Yondu smiled, "humans are odd."   
"Yes they are."   
"Tell me more about them." 

Aris told him all about the other signs, it served as a distraction for him, he didn't like thinking about his past and he tried to avoid it in all topics of discussion but he knew how curious Aris was all the time so he tried to amuse her with stories about his days as a young Ravager and she loved those stories, even if he exaggerated.

They got to the planet they wanted to go, they hadn't run out of units yet but the boys were bored.   
"Should we go with them?" Aris asked, Yondu looked down at her and raised a eyebrow. "Do you want to?"   
Aris considered it for a moment, "not really, no."   
Yondu chuckled and watched his men fly down to Contraxia.   
Aris went into their room and opened the closet, she moved stuff around, looking for her stash. She grinned when she felt Yondu's eyes on her ass, "quit starin'." When she found what she was looking for she went over to one of the chairs and sat down with a bag of sour gummy worms in hand.   
"What are those?" Yondu asked, he sat down and watched her open the bag.   
"Gummy worms." She said and bit into one, she smiled when she saw Yondnu cringe a little.   
"You mean to tell me that you're eating a bag of worms?" She took a couple from the bag and handed the bag to Yondu, "its not actual worms, its candy shaped like worms."   
"What are they made of?" He sniffed the bag.   
"Its literally just sugar and gelatine." He bit into one and made a face, he coughed and examined the bag again. "They're sour." He said, Aris took the bag and shoved a few more into her mouth. "They're supposed to be sour, it says so on the bag, I have regular ones I think."   
"You said gelatine, whats gelatine?"  
"Ground up animal bones so to speak."   
He wrinkled his nose. "That's gross."   
"You don't taste the bones, its flavourless until they add flavour."  
"Humans are odd. Peter never talked about this stuff."   
"No?" He shook his head, Aris got an idea. "We should invite them over."   
"No." Yondu said.   
"Why not?"  
"I..." Yondu couldn't come up with a reason so he sighed and shook his head, "you're just going to invite them aren't you?"  
Aris scrunched up her nose and smiled, "yeah." 

 

They invented Peter and his friends and they arrived a few hours after. After Aris hugged Peter she saw a cut on his forehead that just stopped bleeding, she pulled him down inspect it, he swatted her away. "Stop! Stop it!"   
Aris huffed and put her hands on her hips. "At least let me clean it."   
Peter sighed and Aris grabbed a first aid kit, she cleaned the cut and patted it down with a cotton pad, she inspected the cut a second time, "well its not big enough for a bandage but it could split open if you're not careful."   
They smiled at each other, Yondu watched them, he liked this side of Aris, caring and attentive, like she would be with a child.   
They had a sort of party with a bit of drinking, well a lot of drinking. Aris showed Peter her candy stash and he was so excited, they ended up sharing an entire 5lb bag of gummy bears.   
"Where did you get all this?"  
"I saved them all from my trips to Terra, I bought in bulk." Peter raised his eyebrows at her, she sighed, "I stole some of it."   
"Aris."  
"Most of it." 

They spent the night on the Eclector, too drunk to go back.   
Aris sat down in bed and but her head on the bed, she sighed and crawled towards Yondu to curl up against his body. He wrapped his arms around her body, Aris sighed contently, "you tried to hate today, but you really can't hate Peter, you can pretend all you want but I can see it in your eyes."   
Yondu smiled softly at Aris, "well I did raise the boy technically."   
Aris smiled and Yondu turned the lights off, but earlier that evening he talked to Rocket, he was curious about what Aris dreamed about that seemed to put her on edge, so Rocket designed a device that would allow them to record inside her mind, it sat over her eyes, it was small like a piece of medical tape. "You know this is a huge invasion of privacy right?" Rocket said, Yondu shushed him, "you'll wake her." 

 

Aris would have a sad dream that night.   
She woke up in Asgard, in her old bed, in her room but everything seemed desaturated and had a white eerie glow. When she tossed of the blanket she wore a white dress but was barefoot, she heard children's laughter and turned around, but the room was empty except for her. In fact the entire palace was empty, she tried calling out but there wasn't anyone there. It was deserted, not a soul but she heard the laughter again and a flash of colour.   
She was standing in the throne room now and saw her 12 year old self, standing in front of Odin, Loki was by her side and her father and his friends watched.   
"I should throw you in the dungeons for what you've done!" Odin yelled, Aris walked in front of her past self, she was shorter then she was now and her hair was longer, almost waist length and she looked scared, "grandfather I'm sorry I-" Odin slammed gungnir on the stone floor. "You have no right to call me grandfather! I am not your grandfather! You are a bastard!" He paused, "you took an innocent Asgardian life this day." Aris tried to speak again but Odin shouted at her, "a little boy was murdered! Because you decided to show off!"  
"It was an accident! An accident!" She cried. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone, they just made me angry and I-"   
Odin cut her off again, "no more power! Not until I or your father say you are allowed." Odin sat down on his throne, he sighed, "I should cast you out, I should, but if I do your uncle, my son, will never forgive me." He paused, "you are confined to your bedroom."   
"For how long?"  
"Until I see otherwise!" He turned to Loki, "get her out of my sight!"   
"Yes, father." He put his arm around Aris and left.   
The scene dissolved and the room was empty again.   
She heard it again, the laughter, she could make it out as two little boys, there it was a flash of colour, one of them was blue as they ran past her, she spun around to try to see them but they ran and disappeared behind a wall. "Hey! Wait!" Aris shouted, she picked up her dress and ran after them.   
She chased them down the hall, "wait!" Her running seemed to slow down, they disappeared, she turned around and they were standing there, both in white, one of the little boys was tan with big gold eyes and red-brown hair, he looked just like the little boy she killed those years ago and the other boy, had blue skin, red eyes and a small little red crest on his head, and he was absolutely beautiful, not a single flaw. The boys looked no more then 8, they looked so tired, like they haven't slept in weeks.  
"Who are you?" She asked the little blue boy.   
"Don't you remember me, mamma?" He asked, Aris lowered her defences, "Gunnar?" She asked, the little boy smiled, "but how?" She touched her lower abdomen, "you're dead." She whispered, she felt his cold hand grab hers. "I'm here, I'm here mamma." He started talking to her in Norwegian but Aris couldn't hear. The other little boy grabbed her hand and they started pulling, "come play with us! Come on!"  
Aris knew she shouldn't give in but she ran with them, they played tag through the garden, it started snowing which was strange, it was always warm in Asgard, it never snowed. Gunnar came to her and they ran through the hedge maze. But soon it was time to go to bed, Aris tucked her Gunnar into bed, "pappa should be home soon." He whispered and Aris smiled, she went to get up but Gunnar grabbed her wrist, the mood changed, it grew darker and colder, when she turned back to her son he looked dead, and Aris was frightened, "Gunnar?"   
"You killed me." He said.  
"No! No it was an accident! I didn't-"  
"You didn't love me enough!"   
"No! I do! I do love you!"  
"Then why didn't you tell pappa!" He screamed and stood up on the bed, it became windy and his red eyes turned into gaping black holes, Aris wanted to scream but she couldn't make a sound, she wanted to run but she couldn't move her legs. "Why didn't you tell pappa!" He screamed again and again and again. He jumped to Aris but he went right through her, and he was gone.   
Aris shot right up in bed with a scream, she was loud enough to wake up Yondu.   
"What? What is it?"   
Aris shook her head and cried, Yondu pulled her in his arms and held her, "it'll be okay, you're okay."   
He waited until she was asleep again before he took off the device and put it aside for the morning.

He reviewed what he saw in the morning with the guardians, and he wasn't prepared for what he saw, the meeting with Odin, the boy she killed, and his son, his son. How she played with them and tucked him into bed, his smile fell when he saw the dream transform and how scared Aris seemed. He saw right to the moment she woke up.   
He got up and turned the monitor and sighed, "Yondu-" Peter started.   
"I didn't know what I expected to see, but it wasn't that." 

 

Aris woke up to a baby Groot on her chest, she was alarmed at first but remembered she had her friends over last night and they haven't left yet, Groot woke up, Aris picked him up like a child and went to find Yondu, he was sitting and talking to Peter, Aris came around from behind Yondu's chair and kissed him on the cheek, he pulled her into his lap and started peppering her face with kisses making her giggle, Peter gagged, "you guys are gross."  
Aris just smiled at Peter, and got off Yondu to sit in her own chair, Groot touched her face, "I am Groot." He said, Aris smiled, "yes I know, but I'm not his step-mom."   
"I am Groot, I am Groot."   
"Yes, Yondu and I are married and Peter is like his son but that doesn't make me his mom."   
"I am Groot."   
"Well yes I'd like to have children one day but I'm a Ravager." She said proudly making the small flora smile, "no room for children." She said in a mock serious tone and tickled him. Yondu and Peter looked at each other then to Aris and raised their eyebrows, Peter mouthed to Yondu, "she's going nuts."   
"Oh let her have fun with Twig." He mouthed back, he turned back towards his wife and smiled at how motherly she appeared, she was cooing at Groot with a big old smile on her face, Groot climbed up onto her chest and she cuddled him. 

 

Eventually all the Ravagers came back and the guardians left.  
Aris was walking down the hallway when she heard a giggle, she turned around and looked, Yondu put a hand on her shoulder. "What is is?"  
"Nothing, its nothing." She turned back around, "I thought I saw something."   
This went on for days, the constant giggling, seeing something run around the corner, a flash of red or a flash of blue every once and a while, Aris felt like she was losing her mind. Currently she was curled up in a chair in their bedroom with a half empty bottle of wine on the table, she looked out at the stars and started chewing on her nails again, a habit she thought she broke, she missed her nail and sliced the skin of her thumb with her teeth. She moved the digit to see it better, a bit of blood flowed from the cut. "Shit." She whispered she walked into the bathroom, she ran it under water and found a bandage, she went back to her chair, turned on her data pad and finished the book she was reading.   
She saw Yondu open the door and she smiled, she abandoned her set up and walked to him. Yondu picked her up by her legs and carried her over to the bed.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Yondu and Aris spent the morning in bed together, they laid there and spoke to each other in Centaurian, in regards to the bet, Aris won, so she was this weeks captain so she ordered they spend more time in bed instead of rushing about as soon as they woke up.  
They had to get up eventually, Yondu was putting his pants on when out of the corner of his eye he saw Aris turn around and looked down, her face contorted into one of fear. "Aris?" He asked, he walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, he looked down and saw nothing. "Baby, you're scaring me."  
Aris on the other hand was looking down on Gunnar, he stood there and smiled at his would be parents before running out of the room. Aris blinked slowly and squeezed her eyes, hearing someone call her name, she turned towards Yondu. "Are you okay?"  
She nodded, "yeah, yeah I just thought I saw something." She said and continued to get dressed.  
Yondu was concerned, Aris seemed be zoning out of conversations and staring at nothing, it started happening after that dream she had.  
He walked past the bedroom and heard her talking to someone but looking inside he saw her alone, but it appeared as if she was talking to someone small.  
He let this go on for a few days before stepping in, Aris grew quiet and paranoid, he didn't like seeing her like this, he found her curled up in a chair in their room, wrapped in a blanket with again, wine. Yondu put his hand on hers and she jumped, looking at him with wide eyes.  
"Aris. Whats going on with you?"  
Aris went to say something but her words got caught in her throat. "Aris, talk to me."  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She said, he took her hand, "I will, you can trust me."  
Aris nodded, "I can see our son." She said, Yondu blinked, "I'm not following."  
Aris looked at the chair in front of her, Gunnar was sitting there, "he's sitting right there, across from us." She said, Yondu looked at his wife sadly and decided to humour her.  
"What does he look like?" He asked.  
"You." She said, "he looks just like you, except for his nose, he has my nose." She smiled and continued to stare at the boy only she could see.  
"He doesn't blame you." She whispered. Yondu looked at the chair, "what do you mean?"  
"For his death, he doesn't blame you...he blames me." She talked directly to the ghost, "is that why you torment your poor mamma? Because you feel like I didn't love you? Because I didn't tell pappa?"  
Yondu didn't know what to say or think, he thought his wife was losing her mind, he thought she was doing so well after losing the baby, she seemed vibrant and full of life but that dream must have cracked her mind. But Aris was just fine, Gunnar was sitting there, the little blue boy, but Yondu couldn't see him, only Aris could see him, he was part of her.  
Yondu touched her cheek making her look at him, "Aris-"  
She laughed, "you think I'm crazy." She said, Yondu shook his head, "no, no, Aris, you're not crazy."  
"But you don't believe me about Gunnar."  
"How can I? I cant see him."  
Aris moved her hand from his and moved over to the window, Gunnar followed, "I can't see him past 8." She said casually, Yondu felt helpless, he didn't know how to help her. He walked up and wrapped her up in his arms, "what should I do?"  
She turned to face him, "what can you do? Yondu I'm being haunted by our unborn son, I-" he shushed her and wiped away the tear that fell from her eyes. She moved to put her head on his chest and he held her tightly, she twisted his shirt in her hand. "I don't know what to do." She whispered looking directly at Gunnar, he went through a wall and left the room. Yondu pulled Aris towards the bed, he undressed her, put her in her pjs and laid down with her, the moment was interrupted by a knock on the door, he opened it, Kraglin was standing there.  
"What do you want?"  
"Me and the boys were wondering if you were coming back out?" He asked, regarding the big heist they pulled off earlier today. Yondu sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll come back when I get Aris to sleep, just try not to burn anything." He shut the door and went back to Aris.

 

Aris woke up in the morning alone, well not quite alone, Gunnar was standing by the bed, and he didn't look happy. "Leave me be." Aris said, rolling over. She felt the bed sink and a warm hand on her shoulder, "baby?"  
She turned around to face Yondu, "hey." She whispered meekly looking around the room.  
"You look distracted." He said.  
"Do I?"  
"Aris."  
She sat up in bed and sighed.  
"You need to talk to someone." He said.  
"What? Like a therapist? I don't think we'll find one out here."  
"Aris-"  
"Besides I'm fine. I am fine."  
"You're not fine-"  
"Don't tell me what I am, I am fine." She urged, Yondu sighed, "would you like to go down with Tullk and his group today? You need to get some air."  
Aris nodded and got dressed.  
She met up with the group. "Where are we going?"  
"Korbin."  
Aris crossed her arms, "what business do we have on Korbin?"  
"None, its just to stretch our legs."  
Aris nodded and followed Tullk to his ship.  
They spent a good portion of the day in a tavern, Aris wasn't surprised, so she sat with a drink and talked to the group.  
When they left Aris felt a heavy presence and turned around, her father was standing there, in the markings the bifrost left behind. She sighed, Kraglin touched her arm, she turned to him. "I'll be fine." She turned to the group, "wait here." She said to Tullk. "Yes ma'am."  
Aris crossed her arms and walked up to her dad. "What?"  
"Heimdall told me you were on Korbin, I came to check on you, I didn't know the Ravagers had business here."  
"I needed to stretch my legs." Aris said, Thor nodded. "Anyway, what do you want dad?"  
"To catch up." He said simply, Aris sighed and looked back at her men and back to Thor, she put her hands on her hips and kicked her foot up, "well I don't have a lot of time."  
"How have you been?"  
"Good, uh things have been good."  
Thor looked thoughtful, "ah yes, there's something I want to give you."  
"So much for catching up." She mumbled but looked at her dad and smiled. "What is it?"  
Thor reached behind his cape and pulled out a sword and a bracelet. She examined the sword, the scabbard was leather and the locket was silver with nordic runes, the sword itself was covered in the same runes on the blade was her full name written in norse, the cross-guard turned downwards, the hilt was silver and black. She looked up at her father and smiled. "This is...its beautiful."  
"I had it made for you, I would have gotten it to you sooner, but you don't stay in one place for very long." He showed her a silver bracelet, "now this, is your shield." He handed it to her. "Its a bracelet."  
"Put it on and push the button."  
She followed his instructions and the bracelet became a large round shield, Aris gasped at the sudden change in weight. "Its amazing, but why?"  
"You needed a decent weapon, something you have used since you were 10."  
"Dad...thank you."  
They went into the tavern and had a drink, soon after she met up again with her men, all while buckling her sword to her waist.  
She left the m-ship in a sense of confidence, she entered the flight deck, Yondu was sitting in his chair. Aris went behind the chair and giggled to herself, she moved to be closer to his ear and chirped. Yondu yelled and jumped out of his chair, Aris was almost on the ground laughing.  
Yondu saw the sword and poked at the scabbard, "whatcha got there?"  
"My dad."  
"Your dad?"  
"He showed up on Korbin." She unsheathed her sword and handed it to him. His brow furrowed and he looked at her "its heavy." She took the sword back. "It is not." She put it back in the scabbard and smiled at the sound, "I've missed that."  
Aris spent the rest of the day practicing with her sword, she tried many weapons, some of them stuck and some did not, but a sword is something she's used since she was young, it was always reliable.  
Yondu watched her in fascination, he had yet to see her in her most natural state, and he was intrigued.  
Since she got back from Korbin she had yet to have a visit from Gunnar.  
He didn't come to her for a few days. 

Aris hadn't had any action in almost a month, when she heard about a large bounty on a Sneeper she didn't hesitate to start looking. They found him hiding on Svartalfheim of all places. Aris decided to go with a small group including Yondu, Kraglin, Tullk and Oblo, there was only one of him.  
She walked along the desolate planet, she had a tracker with his face and name on it.  
She heard the sound of footfall behind her and whipped around, the Sneeper had duel blades and went for her face, she pressed the button on her shield and ducked behind it. When his blades hit the metal it made a shock wave. Aris took the pause to draw her own weapon and they fought, but he was just the distraction, Aris and her group were surrounded by dozens of dark elves. "Shit." She was under the impression that they were extinct, thats what she was told as a girl. But they had the high ground, the elves were sloppy, unfocused, and full of rage, Aris cut them down, her sword gave off a glow and they knew immediately she was from Asgard. They started to fire at her but she held her shield up, when they paused she charged for them. When the fight was over Aris checked to make sure they were all dead, Kraglin came to her to say that the Sneeper escaped but she could hardly care about that now, one of the elves appeared to be breathing, she took off the mask. "You will meet your end, Asgardian, soon Ragnarök will come and you will all burn and everyone you love will die. Hela is coming for you all." He laughed until he died. Aris stood up with shaky hands. Yondu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Aris." She said nothing and walked back to the M-ship. 

She sat in her chair, mulling over the elves words. Yondu sat next to her. "Aris."  
"I thought they were gone." She said.  
"What? What were those things anyway?"  
"Dark elves, until today I had thought they have been wiped out, but I was wrong."  
"So there could be more?"  
"Possibly."  
"What happened?"  
Aris smiled, "there was a conflict between Asgard and the dark elves during a convergence, their leader Malekith wanted to use the Aether to destroy the realms. The dark elves were defeated near to extinction by my grandfather Bor and his army."  
"But why the realms?"  
"Malekith believed he could use the Aether to recreate the realms in his own image, you know regular villain shit."  
"Do you believe him? The elf from today."  
Aris shook her head, "no, if Ragnarök was coming, I'd know about it."  
"What is Ragnarök?"  
"The Asgardian version of doomsday."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah."  
"It cant happen, can it?"  
"It could, if it was to come, my father would tell me." 

 

Aris rounded the corner and saw Gunnar staring at her but she continued walking. He followed. Aris turned to face him, "why cant you just move on?"  
He blinked. She walked right up to him, "move on, you're dead." She looked down at the boy and couldn't stop herself from crying, "you're dead, you need to move on, I do love you, you were my first but you need to leave me be." She closed her eyes, "when I count to three, I want you gone, one...two...three." She opened her eyes and he was gone. Aris took a breath, she felt lighter. 

She sluggishly made her way to the bedroom, she put her sword and shield-bracelet on the table, she undressed and curled into bed.  
After a while she felt Yondu's lips on her shoulder blade and she turned to face him. Yondu undressed and joined her.


	26. Author's Note

I'm sorry for the delay, I've been busy with school and, I sort of haven't been around, mentally in a depressed loop.   
I'm currently dealing with an ear infection, but I'm working on a new chapter and it will be up soon. :). Again, I am so so sorry about the delay.   
-Cayla


End file.
